Works For Me Wednesday

Look at me, two days in a row of participating in some blog-imposed, day-of-the-week doo-dah. This is really in conjunction with my Fitness Fridays (1 and 2), but this is a good WFMW AND I always run way too long on Fridays, anyway.

So, are you getting enough water? Me, either. Especially when it's this cold, I don't really want water. Diet Coke? Always. Water? Not-so-much. So, my year-round trick to drinking my water is ... (drumroll, please) 16-oz. water bottles! I know, you want a refund on your WFMW admission fee, right? Stick with me for a moment!

Instead of thinking of the 12 gallons or whatever it is we're all supposed to drink, I try to think about it one 16-ounce water bottle at a time. I try to drink one every two hours for 12 hours, so yes, I (try to) drink 6 in a day instead of 4, which is recommended. One reason I do that is because I'm an exerciser and need to replenish from that. When it's cold like this, I just fill my water bottle and leave it sitting out -- it's easier to drink if it isn't too cold. In the summers I'll put it in the 'fridge for a while, but I still don't want it too cold. I just want to guzzle it and be done with it.

Even 2 16-oz. bottles before lunch and 2 after lunch would be PLENTY of water -- and, for most of us, way more than we are currently drinking!

I don't spend a fortune on water bottles -- I'm a refiller. I just find the handy little containers a good size to drink quickly and it's a measured amount so I know what I'm getting.

I know it's not "rocket surgery", but it works for me!

Check Shannon's blog for more WFMW ideas.

Check back Friday for another Fitness Friday! Eventually I'll get around to talking about "What's the Big Deal about Water Anyway?"

So... How Did YOU Spend Your Time Being Iced In?

I have mentioned before that I don't really 'do' the Tackle-It Tuesday doo-dah many of you fabulous bloggers do. I work on Tuesday and if I can make it TO work, home from work, and get dinner on the table all while remaining conscious, I've tackled about all I can in a day. HOWEVER, I accomplished such a monumental organizational/ clean-out feat this weekend, that I want to participate to get oohs and ahhs from all over blogworld. But first, ahem, there is the ugly truth.

I have seen people ask bloggers to post a picture of where they work on their computer so that the blog world can get an image of the serene, happy blogger at work. Oh, have mercy, I don't think so. I knew coming into 2007 that I MUST get a handle on my office/ sewing room/ scrapbook room, but I just could barely face it. However, Friday inspiration struck. The weather was supposed to get bad and what in heaven's name would I do for 3 days at home? I just might be able to get a handle on the office.

So, humbly I give you what you could see of my office from my dining room table:

Lovely, no? Actually, that's about as good as it got, because once you enter the room, you see this:

And behind the door is where fabric goes to throw up:

So the above is what my office looked like at 4 p.m. Friday afternoon at which time I began to post signs around my dining room: "Sewing/ Crafts" or "Household Business", etc. and unload the office into piles. By 10 p.m., the dining room was ever so full of STUFF:

So What Did YOU Do, Pt. 2

So the dining room looked like this while the office was looking much better!























Saturday I began to plod away sorting through things, but by the time I got to the hard stuff (scrapbook stuff and sewing/ craft stuff) I just wanted to lay down and cry! I didn't think there was an end anywhere in sight! So, I called SuperOrganizer-- some of you may know her as Anne. (Anne -- I think we just came up with a name for your business -- your logo is Superman's 'S'! :-) Leaping piles of clutter with a single bound, she braved the icy roads to rescue me. In no time she helped me get finished up AND put back together in the office. So, about 28 hours, 3 trash bags, and 1 home improvement project that required 1 PG-13 word in front of my 11-year old later ...
NOW this is what you see from my dining room table (drumroll, please)....

Is that just SO much better? Indeed. Anne suggested a skirt for the counter to hide some of my storage. Remember the paper avalanche? No more... (yes, my scrapbook is completely posing as being worked on -- it will happen in time!)

THIS handy little idea (thank you, Anne) is SO cute and fun and works awesome to hold my cute ribbons for these!
AND not only is my office/ sewing/ scrapbook room SO much more lovely and peaceful, you can't even see that I got caught up on our checkbook register on the computer and organized all bank statements. Besides that, here are all of my greeting cards (yes, I have told my family not to let me buy anymore for about 10 years -- but I don't have sympathy and guess what I found out that I needed today!)

AND I organized some of my scrapbook supplies -- paper and supplies! *whew*!

Isn't that so awesome? Troy took a while to comment about it because the mess in the dining room was a little too distracting, but we ALL agree -- including the neighbor little boy who comes over to play computer games -- that it is SO much more peaceful! *sigh* So, I'm off to enjoy some hot chocolate (not really, can't stand that) and another round of a game that the kids got for Christmas that we LOVE! Thanks, Anne!

For Kelli

Because blogger has given me so many fits lately (cannot TELL you how tired I am getting of the phrase, "Blogger won't let me..." -- Wordpress, you're lookin' mighty fine to me about now!) I haven't been able to give you much background and/or lead-time on this happy project, but Kelli needs some help in any way you may be able to give. She needs a kidney transplant but insurance is running out. Go here to read the background info, then go here to see what you can do about it. And you can always pray -- at any time!

Iced-In Observations

• 42* is too cold to go outside and play, but if precipitation is involved, 18* is perfect.
• Our family has a 60-hour togetherness limit. We are at about 74 hours.
• A Route-44 Diet Coke from Sonic (because it made me happy) and a coffee chaser (because I was cold) is a bit much caffeine for my system. I should be awake until Thursday.
• Nachos and chocolate-chip cookies are not good fuel for a workout.
• I am evidently not too old to sleep until 10 a.m. (while the kids enjoy some mind-numbing video games).
• There SHOULD be more to blog about since I've been home for 3 days straight but: a) I can't get to the computer since someone is always on it and b) very little is funny or thought-provoking after 3 days of togetherness.

Coming soon -- what DID happen at my house for these 3 days!

I Have A Dream

Last year, I was teaching the book of John to our church's ladies class on Tuesdays. When I encountered John 8:31, 32 about "you will know the truth and the truth will set you free", I looked up Martin Luther King, Jr.'s famous "I Have a Dream" speech since it finishes with the famous, "Free at last! free at last! thank God Almighty, we are free at last!"

Sadly, that is probably the first time I have ever read that speech and it is beautiful. It made me realize what a godly vision Dr. King had for this country. The last paragraph is right in line with Galatians 3:28: There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

While we are still quite a mess in our country, we are certainly further along the road of healing than we were on August 28, 1963, when Dr. King made this speech: (this is only the last 1/3):

I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the
true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all
men are created equal." I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia
the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slaveowners will be able to sit
down together at a table of brotherhood. I have a dream that one day even the
state of Mississippi, a desert state, sweltering with the heat of injustice and
oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice. I have a
dream that my four children will one day live in a nation where they will not be
judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. I have
a dream today.

I have a dream that one day the state of Alabama, whose
governor's lips are presently dripping with the words of interposition and
nullification, will be transformed into a situation where little black boys and
black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls
and walk together as sisters and brothers. I have a dream today. I have a dream
that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be
made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be
made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall
see it together. This is our hope. This is the faith with which I return to the
South. With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a
stone of hope. With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling
discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith
we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go
to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free
one day.

This will be the day when all of God's children will be able
to sing with a new meaning, "My country, 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of
thee I sing. Land where my fathers died, land of the pilgrim's pride, from every
mountainside, let freedom ring." And if America is to be a great nation, this
must become true. So let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New
Hampshire. Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York. Let freedom
ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania! Let freedom ring from the
snowcapped Rockies of Colorado! Let freedom ring from the curvaceous peaks of
California! But not only that; let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia!
Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee! Let freedom ring from every
hill and every molehill of Mississippi. From every mountainside, let freedom
ring.

When we let freedom ring, when we let it ring from every
village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to
speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and
Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the
words of the old Negro spiritual, "Free at last! free at last! thank God
Almighty, we are free at last!"

The Good Ol' Days

Remember how thankful you were if you EVER encountered a toy/device that didn't require batteries? That is how thankful I am NOW when I encounter a toy/device that doesn't require a screwdriver to GET to the batteries! It's all about perspective, folks.

Fitness Friday #2: Let's Get Moving!

Repeat after me: ANYTHING is better than nothing.

As we think of fitness, most people think “exercise”. I’m sure you also think I will give you some sweaty, miserable regime to follow without exception. Well, I have happy news: one of my MANY mantras for Fitness Friday (I think I’m up to three now) is: ANYTHING is better than nothing!

WARNING: Technical exercise jargon ahead. If this causes your eyes to roll back in your head, skip the next paragraph:

Optimum exercise time is 30 minutes, four times a week, at 70% of your maximum heart rate (MHR)*. But if 15 minutes, twice a week, at 50% of your MHR is more than what you’ve been doing, that’s AWESOME. Why? Because:

ANYTHING is better than nothing!

Another flashback: January, 1998: I have just spent 18 of the last 32 months pregnant. I have 2 children under the age of 2. Every inch of me is slack flesh. I am a 63-inch, sleep-deprived jell-o mold. A friend who, bless ‘im, evidently believed my Superwoman press, introduced me to someone who was looking for a running partner. “Okay,” I thought, “if she is just starting out, maybe I can ease back into it.” Nope. She was a marathoner, running 6-10 miles a day. Uh, right.

I was laughingly relaying this exchange to another uber-fit friend and concluded by laughing, “I’m doing good to run around the BLOCK.” My friend got ultra-serious, down in my face, and said, “Just keep running around the block. No matter how little you are doing, keep doing it.”

I really took that to heart and started squeezing in little moments of exercise when I could (since, really, I wasn’t even running around the block). I would go for a walk while Troy got dressed for work in the morning. I would walk up and down (and up and down and up and down) our long driveway (with an occasional jog up the stairs to our garage apartment) during naptime, baby monitor in hand. I did a few sit-ups, push-ups and chair dips here and there for resistance training (although lifting my 25-pound toddler and 12-pound newborn should have counted for something!)

Initially, the change didn’t come in my clothes size, my appearance, or even my resting heart rate. The change came in the way I thought of myself: I had become someone who exercised regularly. I am an exerciser, therefore I exercise.

I recorded those exercise shows off of ESPN that come on at some ridiculously early hour and did them during nap time. I started by fast-forwarding through the commercials, giving myself about a 22 minute workout. I worked up to jogging in place during the commercials for a 30 minute workout.

So, if you have DECIDED to get moving, what should you do? Since this post is already too long, I will devote another post later to all kinds of options for exercise. For now, do ANYTHING (because it’s better than nothing) that you enjoy and gets your heart rate up: Dancing (square or hip-hop), skating, walking, biking, your kids’ Wii, ANYTHING (because it’s better than nothing). Collage Video is an excellent source for workout videos. For about the cost of one month at a gym you can get 2 or 3 different videos to do in your own home in your own time. Oh – you do have to actually participate with the video. Sitting in the chair eating chips while you watch the video isn’t very effective – I’ve tried.

Again, I will go into more technical talk in another post. For now, just get moving! Why? Because (say it with me now):

ANYTHING IS BETTER THAN NOTHING!!

*To determine MHR: 220 - (your age). Multiply MHR by .7 to find 70% of your MHR.

**Blogger is evil.

Fitness Friday Postponed

You know, I know better. I absolutely know better. But I did it. Yes, I typed my entire Fitness Friday post in Blogger, NOT in a Word document. So I did that for about the last 40 minutes and Blogger didn't feel like posting THAT one. Nor did it feel like showing it to me again. Now I must be moving on myself to my own RPM class, although my pulse rate is pretty high at the moment thanks to Blogger! Fitness Friday will be posted later today, or when Blogger feels like it.

Looking Back

I REALLY needed to read this today.

Being here would have been nice:

And, we got the car fixed -- no more dinging. We will just have to remember to be thankful without it.

Tomorrow is Fitness Friday!

The Funniest Thing on the Web Today

So Antique Mommy lost the diaper bag. Since her outings these days are somewhat limited, she KNEW it had to be at Wal-Mart. She recounts calling customer service:

"She asked me to hold on while she checked lost and found. After she dropped the
phone on the desk (which rendered me deaf only for a short time), she shuffled
some papers, knocked over some boxes, used a blower dryer, ran her desk through a wood chipper and then zipped up an angry cat into a suitcase – at least that’s what it sounded like on my end anyway."

I have laughed all day. Thanks, Antique Mommy!

Since I don't want THIS to be a loose end, go see how the saga ends!

Loose Ends

Some things I know you haven't been able to sleep over:

The appliance gods at my house:

My deer-hunter in shining camo came home just as I was dismantling the washing machine to get to the bottom of the drip. He found the problem and fixed it, saving us $85!!! Yay!! I think this was about 5 days before we paid $230 to fix some sort of air-flow issue with my car (that kept it from running unless you were revving the engine).

Appliance gods -- 0
Vehicle deities -- 1

Our time in Temple:

It was GLORIOUS to see so many friends from days gone by. I told friends: "This is JUST like heaven -- only hotter." New auditorium -- climate control issues. My FAVORITE part of the weekend, hands-down, was when someone asked if I were my friends' (Lynn and Kim) daughter. HA! I will live off of that for months to come. I have to admit, it was a good hair day!

Did I miss anything? Is there anything out there you're still wondering. We have yet to find the shoes.

Back In the Saddle

Well, almost three weeks ago, we left second grade flying high leaving for the Christmas break.

Today, we resumed second grade with not-so-high spirits.

Today included:

• six weeping outbursts (and none of them were even me! -- but one was at my house before we ever left for school).
• one pair of lost shoes (again, at my house -- the reason for the weeping)
• one playground fight
• one temper tantrum (okay, this WAS me).
• five moved clips (discipline action).

So, I survived today. And tomorrow Mrs. Durrington will have to ditch the mouse-ears she's been wearing and resume her post as the other, hopefully more pleasant, teacher in room 24.

One of my weepers was a bleary-eyed, little brown-eyed cutie who is evidently BABIED at home. She didn't want to be there (me, either, I told her!) and the counselor brought her down sniffling and snuffling and dripping. It was RIGHT as the bell rang so I had her come sit on my lap until the announcements were over and then it was going to be time to get to work. She sat and I sat (and yelled at everyone to get to work!) It wasn't a terribly horrible way to start the day. We stood for the pledge, pledged and went to work. Sometimes you just need a little more cuddle before you can buckle down. I'm all for it.

My Rep

Finally heard it today:

"Riley, your mom is mean!"

Observation for Today

Doing laundry is much more lucrative than usual in the weeks following Christmas.

A topic? Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?

Friends, I've got nothin'. I've got LOTS for Fitness Friday -- what a response from you folks! And, Mindy -- goin' out on a limb!! For the record, if Mindy doesn't have aspartame coursing through her veins, she has coffee in them. She and her husband are some coffee drinking nuts!

So, New Year's... just trying to get through the week at the moment. We've had health issues at our house, a sleepover, and various craziness. Today we leave for Temple for a homecoming/ reunion of sorts at the church we used to attend. I'm looking forward to seeing many dear faces from the past -- like my own little piece of heaven being reunited with others and worshipping together.

Movies -- I've seen The Holiday and took the kids to see Night at the Museum this week. Thoroughly enjoyed them both. Denise has a fairly accurate review of The Holiday here. Pretty much a chic flick. Jack Black as a love interest? Hard to believe, but he was cute. Jude Law as a love interest? Yes, indeedy. Very pretty to look at. Night at the Museum was cute and fun. Abbie is about 4 and 1/2 and was with us -- parts of it were a little scary to her, but she made it okay. Riley's favorite line, "My Dumdum need to speak." I was afraid he would try that here when I needed to talk to the kids, so he is altering it to "Mom-mom need to speak." Better.

Troy is pacing -- meaning I'm supposed to be packing instead of blogging, I think. So I will have to be back here next week sometime!

Fitness Friday #1: Have You Decided?

Here we are, the dawn of a new year while the poundage of last year still sits there. Sarah is handing out the fitness tips like crazy and, in reality, you KNOW things you can be doing to improve your fitness level. We all do. The deal is: I have knowledge, I have info, I have tips and tricks – but you have control of the one thing I don’t for changing your fitness level: your will. You have to decide that now is the time.

Before you think I’m asking you to make a blood oath about your activity level and caloric intake, please know that I’m not expecting you to change every aspect of your life in January, 2007. But I believe that successfully changing your life starts by simply setting your face in the right direction (oh my word, I have so many spiritual parallels I want to make, but later, later…) Seeing yourself as a healthy individual and making choices that reflect THAT person, not the former, tired, run-down, out-of-shape person you used to be.

Small story: Two years ago – January, 2005. We were coming off of four years in a row of unbelievable stress. My figure showed it. I was carrying around 20 extra pounds and felt awful. I decided. (those are key words, okay?) I decided that I had just spent four years dealing with everyone else’s problems and that was MY year to take care of me and get those 20 pounds off. I set my face in that direction.

Last year, January, 2006. I realize that I have lost 10 of my 20 pounds. I don’t kick myself, I don’t berate myself, I don’t eat half of a chocolate cake to comfort myself. Instead, I take a realistic look at those 10 pounds (my scale also tells me it’s actually about 15 pounds of fat because my muscle mass has changed so much) and re-evaluate what I’m doing and how it is or isn’t helping me get to where I’m going.

January, 2007: STILL carrying 5 of those pounds. I HAVE realized, though, that fitness doesn’t consume all of my time and energy. It does take a little time, but actually adds to my energy level! Exercise has become a part of my life and eating for me is a conscious decision to fuel my body – not an emotional response.

I tell you that just to illustrate that two years is a LONG time to lose 15 pounds. But, I’m still 15 pounds lighter than I was two years ago and NOT 15 pounds heavier, which, let’s face facts, folks – once you hit a certain age, if you’re not constantly battling your weight, you’re losing ground (and gaining rear!) And, obviously, fitness isn’t entirely about what the scale says. You know your fitness level. You know if it needs changing. And YOU get to choose when and how to change it. That is your assignment for the week – to choose. Which direction will you set your face? What have you decided about your fitness level?

And if you have already decided and would like a different assignment – try to drink more water than any other drink, and try to exercise at least twice before next Friday!

Fitness Friday Background

Okay, this is getting WAY longer than I ever intended -- this is so my passion! So, I am going to go ahead and post the "background info" tonight on Thursday night. I actually have a real post for tomorrow! Welcome!

Long awaited Fitness Friday is here! I’ve been looking forward to this and evidently, so have some of you! I’m glad you stopped in. I’ll just go ahead – you keep lacing up your shoes and stretching! One of my goals will be to keep my Fitness Friday installments brief, but today may be a little lengthy as I lay some groundwork and hopefully answer some questions before you have them.

Why should I listen to you?

Well, you shouldn’t. I’m not a certified anything (although “certifiably insane” is occasionally tossed around with my name), nor do I have a Ph.D. in Exercise Science. I have, however, been in and around gyms for the last 20 years. I’m interested in what I’m doing and doing it effectively (i.e., I don’t have TIME to be doing it wrong!). I’ve picked up a little knowledge from the gym. Also, I enjoy reading about fitness stuff. Some women subscribe to Southern Living or Better Homes and Gardens. I do Shape, Fitness, and Weight Watchers. I will pass along things that I have learned in my reading – some of which contradicts itself – and let you know how it coincides with my own experience or not.

Why are you doing Fitness Friday?

Especially at this time of year, talk turns to fitness levels, weight, diets, and exercise. I hear people say, “I wish I could…” or “I need to…” I nod and listen in silence. I never know if that person REALLY is interested in changing their level of fitness or if they are simply verbalizing the need to change it. For anyone who is interested in boosting their fitness, I have a ridiculous amount of knowledge, tips, tricks, ideas, and speculations. This way, I can do like I did to my husband when he mentioned wanting to lose a few pounds. I simply told him, “When you are ready, I will walk you through it, give you a plan, support you in it, and problem solve through it. Just let me know when you’re ready.” I can only throw the information out there. You get to decide when and how to use it.

What can I expect from Fitness Friday?

Okay, truthfully, at this point I don’t think any of you care, but I will tell you anyway! I’ll talk about everything from exercise routines and equipment to fuel (food) for fitness. Some topics I’m thinking about thus far are:

• How/ Where do I start?
• I hate the gym! (or I can’t afford a gym!)
• What’s the big deal about water?
• Fiber is your friend (I really don’t plan to name it that, but it made laugh to write it! :-)
• You don’t HAVE to live with the metabolism you were born with – ways to kick it up a notch!

This was really just a bunch of preliminary groundwork/ info. I look forward to meeting you back here for Fitness Friday!

Santa, We Have a Problem...

Weeks before Christmas, there was a conversation at the North Pole like this:

Mrs. Claus: Santa, that Riley Stirman ONLY wants a Gamecube, and you know how his mom worries those things suck brain cells out. And when they aren't sucking brain cells, they're sucking money to get different games. What should we do?

Santa: Well, the Stirmans are good to limit such activities. All things in moderation should be fine...

So, Mrs. Claus begrudgingly let Santa deliver the Gamecube to the Stirmans. And all was right with the world.

Until yesterday morning, when I emerged from my bedroom at 5:15 A.M. to go to an exercise class and Riley was deep into a game, looking something like this:

Let the interventions begin.

(To answer all the questions I know this will raise: Riley set his alarm for 5 so that he could play. I let him play until 6, then sent him back to bed. And Gamecube was off for the rest of the day.)

Bah! Humbug! and Good Riddance

As a matter of fact, I DID take a little bloggy break. I didn't mean to, but it sort of turned into one, didn't it? Good thing I had that precious pic of my babies up for all to enjoy for the week!

I love Christmas, I really do. And generally, even more than Christmas, I love New Year's -- the hope, excitement and promise of a clean slate and fresh start.

This year? Not so much. I don't know how or why, but Christmas stressed me out from the get-go, even though several factors should have made it easier. And New Year's, well Riley summed it up today:

"This year feels just like the last one."

"Yes," I replied, " only now it's cluttered with some other year's junk."

Have I mentioned Christmas hasn't exactly gotten put away yet?

Last week we went to Louisiana on Wednesday -- only after we confirmed that all fever and vomiting was a minimum of 24 hours in the past. My brother and his family were in from Virginia, and they had a little bug earlier in the week. We've done it -- get half-way to Louisiana, someone is burning up with fever, we trudge on, and the whole house goes down in flames with the ragin' contagion -- and dad ends up in ICU half-dead with pneumonia. Seriously, we've done it. We're not going to do it again, if at all possible. So, all seemed to be clear and off we went.

The kids had a grand time -- 5 kids ranging in age from 4 -10, hitting all of the even number ages and Riley is the only "odd" with 9. They played HARD and proved it by smelling worse than my dog the entire time we were there (who smelled great and was well taken care of at Yvonne's Puppy Bed and Breakfast!) Thursday, the last healthy nephew crashed with a fever. We all waited for the projectile vomiting, but it never happened. We have now been home from Louisiana for 27 hours and no one is sick! It's a Christmas miracle!!

Anyway, I always leave for Louisiana with books to read and exercise clothes and grand plans of reflection and productive time. What crack pipe have I been smoking? If you're keeping track, that's 6 adults and 5 kids in the vicinity (although my brother's crew graciously moved from my parent's house and stayed with friends so that we wouldn't have to share bathrooms AND beds). The Louisiana holiday is always a loud, raucous, fun time of togetherness -- but I'm sure you know me enough by now to realize that doesn't exactly "recharge my batteries." But it does bless me immensely to see my kids have such a great time with the cousins. I believe we also visited every Social Security recipient in Ouachita Parish. As the "old crowd" gets older, it gets a lot more demanding to make the Social Security scene!

So, we're home. No, I haven't made any resolutions. Maybe I'll still think on them and get back to you.

I have mentioned before that I plan to start a regular feature here: Fitness Friday! Be looking for it!