The Joy of Six...

Here’s To My Health….Oooo, ah, Ouch….

Me and my achy body came in from my walk around the neighborhood yesterday….my new ritual that I have recently constituted along with my new, healthier diet.  It’s not an automatic thing for me….never has been; but it’s the ‘NEW’ plan on my way to a healthier lifestyle.  Why?  Because my “OLD’ plan apparently hasn’t been cutting it…..albeit is a heck of a lot more fun.   However, according to my doctor, MY plan will start working against me if I don’t take some serious action and do something about it…..NOW.  Though nothing is life-threatening, he’s worried about the possibilities of things like Diabetes, heart disease, stroke and such….all related to my on-going battle to lose weight.  I already have some of the achy knees, hips and back stuff that comes with the territory of getting older.  It’s not like I haven’t heard those words before, and it’s not like I didn’t already know what he was going to tell me.  I’m just not crazy about being told, and I don’t give him much of a chance to lecture me since I make as few appearances to his office as possible…..you know; I’ve got to be feeling pretty shitty and willing to risk a lecture. As nice as he is, and as good a relationship as we have…I’m always waiting for the other shoe to drop.                                                                                                   

Unfortunately I was scheduled for one of those appointments…..I didn’t have a choice.  They were holding my prescriptions hostage and wouldn’t fill them until I came in for a complete physical.  Cripes, it had only been four years.  That didn’t seem so outrageous to me.  But my doctor knows me pretty well.  He wanted the whole battery of tests done.  I always feel like a car going in for a complete tune-up.  Heart…fine.  Hearing…fine.  Blood pressure….good. (Well fine for being on medicine.)  Mammogram….fine.  EKG…fine.  Lungs…fine.  Cholesterol….okay.  A slight elevation in my glucose count.  This is the main reason why I’m constituting the ‘NEW’ plan…..bummer.                                                                                                       

Hey, it is what it is.  I didn’t gain this weight overnight.  I’ve had a sweet tooth all my life.  I’ve loved bread and starches all my life.  What I don’t quite remember is:  When did I get so lazy?  I was always so naturally active.  As a kid I couldn’t sit still…..I was a tomboy.  As a teenager I was a cheerleader and into gymnastics and loved sports.  As a young mother I was constantly ‘on the go’ running after little ones.  That didn’t stop for years…well into their high school years really.  Maybe it happened when they went off to college and things slowed down for me.                                                                                                                      

It became a very different life in my late forties and fifties when there were really no more kids in the house and it was just my husband and I.  I worked some of those years, but things were definitely slowing down….and I must have been slowing down right along with them whether I knew it or not.  I was okay with that.  I think it was even my plan.  Then of course there are always those things you never plan for.                                                                                                                      

Death has a way of slowing you down like nothing else.  It can immobilize you if you’re not careful.  I was surprised at how well I thought I did after my husband, Joel, died 2 ½ years ago.  I did what I had to.  I handled whatever needed to be taken care of….almost like a checklist; and still tried to feel like I was existing in my normal day….or what could be normal for me at that point.  Then right on the heels of that, I got hit with my mother getting ill and her death.  Here’s how I remember my existence at that time….                                                                                    

I took care of paperwork and legal issues.  I blogged and read blogs.  I worked on BlogHer.  I cleaned some of Joel’s things out.  I saw family members.  I read blogs.  I worked on BlogHer.  I had things fixed in the house that Joel never got around to.  I’d drive out to see my mother and bring her what she needed.  I talked on the phone to my kids…a lot.  I played games on the computer.  I read  blogs. I blogged.  I e-mailed.  I reviewed blogs for BlogHer.  I met with my brother to discuss my mother. I had more things repaired around the house.  I met with a financial advisor, insurance agents and bank representatives.  I spent time with my kids.  I played and worked on the computer.  I had lunch with friends.  I blogged.  I answered e-mails.  I blogged.  I worked on BlogHer.  Along with my brother, I took care of the details of my mother’s death.  I finally flew out to see my new grandson, Bastian, two months late.

                                                                                                          

Does anyone notice a pattern here?  Does anyone see one mention of exercise?  Well in all honesty, that wouldn’t be totally fair.  There have been periods in those 2 ½ years that I actually did exercise on a fairly regular basis on my stationary bike that my son, Joe, got for me.  My problem is consistency.  I’ve started using my bike again too.                                                                                                

I have to use the Double Whammy of walking and using my exercise bike to counteract all the hours I spend sitting in front of the computer day after day….hour after hour.  Now THIS is where I’m consistent!  And although my computer was a haven and a refuge for me at some very stressful times in my life, it is also what’s gotten me into such disastrous trouble.  I have NO guidelines when it comes to the computer….blogging…..BlogHer….e-mail…. computer games…..and everything surrounding the internet. I don’t know when to call it a day.  I go from one thing to the next to keep caught up.  By the time I’m done….it’s often into the wee hours of the morning, my ankles are swollen, and I fall into bed.  Hello?  What kind of exercise program is that?                                                                                                                    

Good news….my fingers are damn skinny.  

Moms in My Life....and On My Mind

Mother's Day is right around the corner....

My 91-year-old mother-in-law has always been, and still is, my shining example of motherhood.  At this point, I think she's everyone's example.  Strong of heart, soul, and mind...Nana is a constant wonder.  Up until the last few years Nana had more energy than any of us; and I can tell in conversations that she's frustrated with having to slow down.  She loves to play bridge on occasion, and probably remembers more than I do about it.  She still tries to use the computer...e-mail mostly, and enjoys keeping updated with everyone.  She has taught our family so many valuable lessons over the years...and continues to do so as the beautiful matriarch of our family.

My daughter, Julie, is the busy mother of two terrific kids....Bella and Bastian.  I've written about them numerous times, as many of you know.  Julie is also a Women's History professor at a college in downtown New York.  She is in the process of writing a second book and is working on several other projects.  Her husband, Chris, has his own insanely busy schedule as a patent lawyer for a law firm in New York.  To say her lifestyle is hectic would be an understatement.  Like many young couples today, Julie and Chris are trying to balance it all...trying to make it work.  There are days when Julie's not so sure she's doing such a good job 'balancing.'  I DISAGREE!

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               I think she and Chris are doing an AMAZING job.  I mean that.  I tell her all the time how proud I am of the job she's doing...and that I think she's a terrific mom.  I can see the sacrifices...who comes first....and what has to be done.  Sometimes hard decisions have to be made...but they are made...and those kids are always first and foremost.  Both she and Chris know what's important and never misplace their priorities.  These are busy, growing years.....fun years.....years you want to appreciate and enjoy.  I tell her that too; but thank God.....I think she already knows that.  She's a good mom.....a really good mom. And I wonder if she would ever believe that I am just as proud of the job she's doing as a mom as I am of the many credentials she has earned in her professional life....maybe even more so.

My sister-in-law, Mary, has been one of my best friends forever.  I knew as soon as my brother brought her through our front door some 40+ years ago that she was going to be someone special.  She hasn't changed at all over the years. Full of energy....funny, creative, loving, thoughtful, compassionate, patient, generous, caring, hard-working...40 years of all those same wonderful qualities. How lucky am I that my one and only brother chose such a beautiful person for his lifemate.  How lucky are we all?  I feel especially fortunate that my children have had Mary as their Aunt.  She's just always been there for them....like a second mom.  Mary's planning a wedding for this fall.  My niece, Heather, will be getting married...and we all will be going to Wisconsin for the big day.  With all the weddings Mary has happily attended...it will finally be her turn to be the proud mother of the bride.

It's almost two years ago since my mom passed away.  Her last Mother's Day was a sad one....languishing in a place that she hated and prayed she'd never-ever have to spend her final days in.  It was the saddest Mother's Day I can remember.  I hope all of our moms who are no longer with us are walking in fields of flowers, basking in beauty as far as the eye can see......knowing only love...pure joy.....and peace. 

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY to all the lovely ladies out there.....

   

Short and Sweet....and just a little funny

                                                                                                                         

I dialed a number and got the following recording:                                                                                                                

"I am not available right now, but thank you for caring enough to call.

I am making some changes in my life. Please leave a message after the Beep. If I do not return your call, you are one of the changes."

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Aspire to inspire before you expire.

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My wife and I had words, but I didn't get to use mine.

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Frustration is trying to find your glasses without your glasses.

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Blessed are those who can give without remembering, and take without forgetting.

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The irony of life is that, by the time you're old enough to know your way around, you're not going anywhere. 

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God made man before woman so as to give him time to think of an answer for her first question.

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I was always taught to respect my elders, but it keeps getting harder to find one.

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Every morning is the dawn of a new error.

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Handle every stressful situation like a dog.

If you can't eat it or play with it,

pee on it and walk away.                                                               

And.....just a little more for the road...... Love, Joy                                      

                                                                                                                                                         

                                                                                                                                                                                                   

                                                                                                                                                                           

                                                                                                                              

                                                                                                                           

The Joy of Junk

A few days ago I made the fatal mistake of going into my garage to look for something.    I try my best not to go into the garage because I'm faced with the constant reminder that I need to seriously clean out and organize that sad and neglected little place.  I have a storage room in my basement in the very same shape. 

As I stood there just looking at all the "stuff" overflowing from the shelves and corners of the room, this overwhelming urge to just pick something in need of throwing out rushed over me.  I've had it before, but never get it enough; and I'm always disappointed when I don't get it and just leave without touching a single thing.  I wind up with great guilt that once again I have done nothing about organizing that 'zoo'. 

This time I got the spark. I grabbed an ancient computer monitor that my husband was keeping for posterity and walked it out next to the trash can.  He wasn't there to stop me....bless his heavenly soul. Believe me, anyone out there thinking...."Oh no, what did she throw out?"  No, no....I'm not totally insane.  This thing was a relic; and there were more just like it sitting there. Bits and pieces from Fred Flintstone days....I swear. My husband saved all this stuff thinking...."You never know, maybe I'll need some parts from them some day."  Yeah, if we were going BACK in time.

There it sat next to the trash bin.  WOW!  'One small step for......'

It felt so good I went back for another old monitor, then another computer part, and another, and another.  I took whatever computer parts I could reach and hauled them out next to the trash knowing full well that either the city would come and pick them up....or some person in their truck or car I see cruising down the alley all the time might take them away.  You know the old saying...."One man's trash is another man's treasure."

Along with the computer parts I added a little rusty white table and a bizaar "Beanie Baby" stand that was my daughter, Jenna's. (and something she never used or wanted...hence why it was still in my garage and not in her apartment)  What makes us keep these things? 

It was a start.  Admittedly it was all baby steps.  Believe me, if you saw my garage....you would know it was just baby steps; but it felt good.  I had visions of what could be next.  I was already eyeing an old baby stroller sitting high on a shelf.  There were still more computer parts on another shelf.  I went back into the house to do some other things.

This was a different feeling than all the times I'd put out bags and bags of things for the Purle Heart Veterans, The Salvatian Army or Am Vets.  For one thing, this was stuff none of these organizations would want or take.  They have lists now....they don't just take anything.  I recently gave the Salvation Army eight huge brown plastic bags filled with paperback books.  Years and years of books my husband had sitting in our bookcases that needed to be passed on to.....SOMEONE.  After going through them all with a couple of my kids to see what they wanted....Salvation Army got the nod.

After about 1 1/2 hours I got curious and went out to check by the trash. I couldn't believe it. Everything was gone!  Everything but that idiot Beanie Baby stand.  But a short time later....even that was gone.  "One man's trash......"

I think I've found a new addiction. 

Awesome Anagrams

I've always been a word person, and I’ve actually seen some of these before. I love this kind of stuff. Someone out there is great at Scrabble.

DORMITORY

When you rearrange the letters:

DIRTY ROOM                                                                                                       

PRESBYTERIAN

When you rearrange the letters:

BEST IN PRAYER                                                                                                   

ASTRONOMER

When you rearrange the letters:

MOON STARER                                                                                                    

DESPERATION

When you rearrange the letters:

A ROPE ENDS IT                                                                                                       

THE EYES

When you rearrange the letters:

THEY SEE                                                                                                            

GEORGE BUSH

When you rearrange the letters:

HE BUGS GORE                                                                                                   

THE MORSE CODE

When you rearrange the letters:

HERE COME DOTS                                                                                                 

SLOT MACHINES

When you rearrange the letters:

CASH LOST IN ME                                                                                                   

ANIMOSITY

When you rearrange the letters:

IS NO AMITY                                                                                                         

ELECTION RESULTS

When you rearrange the letters:

LIES - LET'S RECOUNT                                                                                           

SNOOZE ALARMS

When you rearrange the letters:

ALAS! NO MORE Z 'S                                                                                             

A DECIMAL POINT

When you rearrange the letters:

IM A DOT IN PLACE                                                                                                

THE EARTHQUAKES

When you rearrange the letters:

THAT QUEER SHAKE                                                                                             

ELEVEN PLUS TWO

When you rearrange the letters:

TWELVE PLUS ONE                                                                                                

MOTHER-IN-LAW

When you rearrange the letters:

WOMAN HITLER (Ha, ha, very funny)

Yep! Someone has waaaaaaaaaaay too much time on their hands!                                                                                                                          

AND NOW FOR YOU LADIES....it's what you've long been waiting for....SIT BACK AND ENJOY!!

ONE....is the lonliest number

Remember the old saying, “Find a penny, pick it up; and all day long you’ll have good luck?”  I’d be the luckiest person on the face of the earth if I picked up every penny I see laying on the ground in parking lots, stores and street corners.  Heck, I still pick them up most times, but these days they don’t get much respect.  Well, they’re STILL money to me.                                                                                                

Does anyone still collect pennies?  Does anyone even use them anymore?  I do.  Not long ago I had my son carry a huge bottle over to the “Exchange Your Coins for Dollars” machine.  I had been collecting them for so long that I walked out of there with well over $100.  Do you know how many pennies that is?  Of course you do if you can multiply.  I have another little stash of pennies collecting in another jar right now.  I just can’t ignore them.  It seems so wrong.                                                   

I’ve been hearing for a long time how many people are calling for the penny to be eliminated as a unit of currency.  I’ve heard they’re talking about getting rid of the penny in Canada.  How can we get rid of ‘Ol Abe like that? I guess there are several reasons for the debate.  Many of us don’t even spend them anymore…and only get them back in change to return them to a bank for higher denomination currencies.  Most modern vending machines don’t accept cents, further diminishing their usefulness.  But most of all, people don’t think the production cost to make them is worth it….that it exceeds the value of the coin due to increasing metal prices.  Even though the penny is no longer made entirely of copper, it still costs more to make than it is worth.                                                                       

Here’s a few facts:  As of February, 2008, the copper-plated zinc cent contains 0.6 cents worth of metal.  All pre-1982 US 1-cent pennies are worth more in metal content than face value.  Canada switched to making iron based coins in the year 2000, where the face value of coins is above the metal content of the coins.  The US is in line to change the metal composition of US pennies and US nickels….if not all US metal coinage at a coming future date.                                                                     

I don’t care….I still feel badly for the ‘little guy.’ Whatever happened to “A penny saved….is a penny earned?”                                      

What do you think? Do you think we should get rid of the little copper-plated castaway?

Little Blue Booties

My son’s best friend and his wife had a baby boy last Tuesday.  Colin James came into this world at about 1:20 a.m. on April 8th...all 8 lbs. 2 oz. of him, as his proud dad took pictures of the whole experience.  He even got to cut the umbilical cord.  Wow…little blond-headed Jimmy…..a daddy.                                                                                       

As I looked at Colin’s first minutes into this world through the photos on his dad's camera, it took me back to when Joe was born thirty-two years ago and how I felt seeing my own sweet little boy in blue.  During our visit to see Colin and his mom and dad so many feelings rushed at me as I held his feather-light body and caressed his little capped head as he slept.                        

In all of his newness….he looked just like his mom.  It was apparent to everyone even this early in his new little life. But he had his dad’s long and slender hands and feet.  We had a chance to see this when Jim got to change Colin’s diaper for the very first time with loving instructions from his wife, Jen.  How sweet it was as Joe watched his best buddy gently wrap his new son in the coils of his blanket….papoose style.                                                                     

Oh what a moment that was for me.  Jim and Joe have been best friends since Kindergarten….like brothers really.  They would do anything for one another….and have.  So compatible in nature for all those years….growing up together and sharing all that it entails; and now through the evolution of life….this new little one adding another chapter.  Joe's the perfect Uncle Joe...just ask Bella and Bastian.                                                                                                                  

As Joe held Colin and stared into his face telling him ‘what the deal’ was, I couldn’t help but feel a little teary…..but, I didn’t cry.  Here were these two guys who have grown from boys to men….but still little guys in my eyes.  Now they were ushering in the next generation and have more to share than ever.  If the time comes when it’s Joe’s turn to take the pictures and count all the fingers and toes on his own child, I know Jim will be standing by his side….beaming.   It’s a picture all of us moms and dads want to keep forever.                                                                     

Welcome sweet baby boy…….

Oooo, oooo, I Have a Question....

Why isn't the number 11 pronounced onety-one?

Why do croutons come in airtight packages? Aren't they just stale bread to begin with?

If people from Poland are called Poles, then why aren't people from Holland called Holes?

Why is a person who plays the piano called a pianist, but a person who drives a racecar is not called a racist?

If it's true that we are here to help others, then what exactly are the others here for?

If lawyers are disbarred and clergymen defrocked, then doesn't it follow that electricians can be delighted, musicians denoted, cowboys deranged, models deposed, tree surgeons debarked, and dry cleaners depressed?

If Fed Ex and UPS were to merge, would they call it Fed UP?

Do Lipton Tea employees take 'coffee breaks?'

What hair color do they put on the driver's licenses of bald men?

I thought about how mothers feed their babies with tiny little spoons and forks, so I wondered what do Chinese mothers use. Toothpicks?

Why do they put pictures of criminals up in the Post Office? What are we supposed to do, write to them? Why don't they just put their pictures on the postage stamps so the mailmen can look for them while they deliver the mail?

If a cow laughed, would milk come out of her nose?

Whatever happened to Preparations A through G?

It's income tax time! Did you ever notice: When you put the two words 'The' and 'IRS' together, it spells  'THEIRS'? 

A Blessing in Our Blogosphere

Happy Birthday Aries lady

with your wise and caring word.

A day without your insight,

to us would be absurd.                                                                        

We rely upon your counsel

as we come to you each day;

Ever grateful for the guidance

in the things you have to say.                                                                                        

To miss out on your humor

would leave us feeling lost;

And a day without your honesty

could come at quite a cost.                                                                                    

We depend upon your sharing heart

to help to see us through;

So this day is special to us all....

and we celebrate with you.

Happy Birthday Ronni.... my dear friend.  May your day be as beautiful as you are. ~Love, Joy

One Word Answers

I saw this over at Average Jane's a while back....it's nice and easy...and quick, so I thought I'd do it.  Join in if you feel like it.

You're Feeling: Mellow                              To Your Left: Banana
On Your Mind: Errands
Last Meal Included: Tuna
You Sometimes Find it Hard To: Risk              The Weather: Springish
Something You Have a Collection of: Crystal
A Smell that Cheers You Up: Baby
A Smell that Can Ruin Your Mood: Smoke
How Long Since You Last Shaved: Yesterday
The Current State of Your Hair: Clean
The Largest Item On Your Desk/Workspace Right Now (besides computer): Lamp
Your Skill with Chopsticks: Good
Which Section You Head to First In the Bookstore: Horoscopes...and After That?: Children’s
Something You're Craving: Chocolate
Your General Thoughts On the Presidential Race: Exhausting
How Many Times You've Been Hospitalized this Year: None
A Favorite Place to Go for Quiet Time: Bedroom
You've Always Secretly Thought You'd Be a Good: Psychologist
Something that Freaks You Out a Little: Snakes
Something You've Eaten Too Much of Lately: Chocolate
You Have Never: Skydived
You Never Want To: Deteriorate