What the lack of water might do to your body and did do to mine…

I have to warn you that none of what I’m about to tell you is pretty.. but it does go to show what the lack of water will do to your body. If you have any of these symptoms on a daily basis it could easily be because your body is struggling. What people seem to forget is that our bodies consist of 80% water and when we fail to introduce more water into our systems our body takes it from elsewhere to complete the necessary functions.

Since I stopped drinking water I have noticed several things. My coordination has been compromised. I believe this has happened because my joints, and this includes the joints in my fingers, have been dehydrated so movement isn’t as fluid as it should be. My fingers aren’t moving as well as they should be causing me to have more typing errors. My elbows hurt more than usual and my shoulders tire easily. My neck feels like it needs to be popped but nothing happens when I try and pop it. My knees have been clicking when I stand and my ankles and toes keep popping. It sounds like I’m cracking my knuckles when I take a step.

The area that seems to be the most bothered by the lack of water is my back. Today I had trouble getting out of bed and even now (nearly midnight) I’m still having to shift my position over and over again to try and reduce the amount of pain I feel in my lumbar region.

Internally a few things have been happening. I’ve experienced more heartburn than I usually do and (beware those with a delicate constitution) I am dreadfully constipated. I feel like I have to go but nothing is happening. Things are.. compacted. I’m not digesting as well as I should be and I do have minor abdominal pains as my body struggles to work through the food in my intestinal system.

This is all because my body is lacking the natural lubrication of water. I’m starting back with all my water first thing in the morning. I know that once I have water back in my system I’ll be annoyed by the fact that I will have to keep using the bathroom. I used to wonder why I would urinate so much when I drank water, but a doctor told me that while your body needs water when it’s first being reintroduced to it a lot of the water escapes. We aren’t like sponges, unfortunately, and it takes replenished cells to be strong enough to collect and pass along the water we drink.

If you aren’t a water drinker, you really should start drinking water. You’ll notice the same things I did/do.. the first few days (up to a week) about an hour after you drink water you’ll have to go to the bathroom and by the end of that second day you’ll notice your urine is nearly clear. This is how it should be. You actually shouldn’t be having yellow urine.. it should be nearly clear. This means the nutrients that were once coloring your urine are being properly absorbed again. You’ll find that after a week you won’t be having to go to the bathroom so frequently after you drink water.. your body will be absorbing more of it.

When your body gets the water it needs you will have a reduction of some of the issues I’ve mentioned or they will completely go away. Of course, if you are still having constipation after you start drinking plenty of water that is a major clue that you are missing some important parts of your diet. You will need to take the time to work with your diet to find the foods that give you the best results.

This all comes back to you knowing your body better than anyone else. If you learn things about your body then you will be able to make good decisions to keep it working well. I know that water helps reduce my joint pain and reduce the occurrences of my back pain.. and it stops me from being constipated. I can mark that on my list of things I can control about how my body works.

Water.. is life. And to me it means less pain and a better digestive function.

Pounds lost: 17.1 (371.9)

Daily insight: Craving water more than I ever craved the evil Pepsi. :)

Ounces of water consumed: 0

Steps in the right direction: 79

Taking a walk down nostalgia lane…

Today was a day for introspection and I found myself thinking about times gone by. I didn’t yearn for them or anything, but I did wonder what my life would be like now if I had made different choices. I’m closing in on my 37^th birthday and I find that it’s causing me to wonder about things I never stopped to wonder about before.

I don’t regret any of the decisions I’ve made because they’ve helped me become the strong, independent woman I am today. Unfortunately, that doesn’t stop me from wondering if I made the right decisions. I never would have thought I’d be almost 37 without a reliable job embarking on a new phase of my life that I sometimes feel I don’t have the skill set for.

Some days I love what I’ve gotten myself into and other days I question my sanity. LOL Today wasn’t a question my sanity kind of day and yet I still had a lot of wonder running around my head. I even found myself friending some of my ex-boyfriends on Facebook. LOL Yeah, it was one of those kind of days.

Today I also finished Deborah Blake’s book Witchcraft on a Shoestring and I really enjoyed it. I think my favorite part of the book was her last chapter titled, The Everyday Witch. She talked about how being a witch had nothing to do with buying more stuff and had everything to do with connection. Connection to the earth, to the Goddess and the God, to the seasons, to the animals around us, to the people in our lives, to our communities, and the fact that we are the connection that is most important.

I really liked her writing style and how I smiled, laughed, and was called to think about the things she said. I plan on keeping an eye out for more books written by her. If you haven’t read any of her books, I recommend her. She’s a good example of what each of us really is.. An ordinary person living as valuable a life as we can while being true to ourselves.

I like that.

Pounds lost: 17.1 (371.9)

Daily insight: Being ordinary doesn’t mean you’re not special.

Ounces of water consumed: 0
Steps in the right direction: 77

Differences…

Today, I feel different. I’m not really sure what it is that’s making me feel this way. I mean, outside of the usual aches and pains that belong to my body things feel different. I think it must be psychological. I feel like I a moving with more ease and that I’m taller than I was even yesterday. My path seems to be straighter when I walk through the house and I’m not really bumping into corners or stepping on my own feet like I usually do. I feel like my chair isn’t resting in the same spot in front of the computer and my arms are sitting differently atop the computer. I’m not sure why, but it’s like it’s not my body that I’m commanding.

Can you have an out of body experience in your own body?

I’m sure that this has more to do with the impromptu nap I took earlier today where when I woke up my head felt thick and heavy and my neck stiff. I’m sure I just woke up in an odd angle and it tilted my axis temporarily, but what a weird feeling this is. I’m also hoping that my nap won’t make it impossible for me to fall asleep tonight. I’ve been working on getting up at a “normal” time and don’t want to ruin my record.

The diet went well today, if you don’t mind me using popcorn at the movies as one of my snacks. Hehehe. But I did do well by not getting a soda and had water instead. The rest of the day everything went well, but I am only going to get 64 or my preferred 80 ounces of water today. Tomorrow when I’m sitting at my desk it will be better since I’ll have my water bottle just inches from my left hand most of the day.

I’m looking forward to spending the day working tomorrow and sneaking away for lunch with my mom. I still need to give her the Yule gift I made her. I really hope she likes it. I worked a long time on it and really think it’s great. :) All right. I think that’s it for now, I need to go get in a comfortable position on the couch. :) Night!

Pounds lost: 18.9 (370.1)

Daily insight: Spending time by yourself is good for your mental health.

Ounces of water consumed: 64

Steps in the right direction: 71

Grrrrr technology.. grrrr!

About an hour ago my desktop computer decided it was happier freezing than working and I had to hard shut it down. :( Because of that I'm typing on my laptop and can't seem to get anything done. So, my post is going to have to be quick.

Besides the evils of technology giving me some more gray hairs, today was a good day. I managed to get a lot done including doing a bunch of testing for a job as well as having an interview over IM. :)

The diet went well today and my water intake was perfect. And the good news is that when I weighed in today I did so with a HUGE smile. I have lost weight again, Oh Happy Day! My weight is now 370.1 I am exceptionally happy about that! I believe things can only get better from here on out.

Pounds lost: 18.9 (370.1)

Daily insight: Numbers are only numbers, unless you give them power.

Ounces of water consumed: 80

Steps in the right direction: 68

Warm rosy glow...

Today was such a busy day and I was in such a good mood.  I got so much accomplished.  I ran all over town looking for items that I really need for my business and did a price comparison that everyone.  I'm pretty sure I found everything I needed and tomorrow morning I get to go buy them.  I had some questions like I always do, but thankfully my dad and his computer genius brain helped me figure it out.

I am most especially excited about the fact that I got the perfect one ear headset to use for my voice recognition software.  And believe it or not, I don’t have to correct the program every two seconds like I did before.  As a matter of fact (old boy, old boy!) I'm writing this post, completely hands-free.  Well, give or take a comma, a period, and a smiley face here and there. :)

Hopefully this will mean I'll get more work done with less pain, because less pain for me means more smiles and more time to be able to do the things I want to do.  You know, like reading books and making correct meal plan.  In other words, doing what I set out to do with this blog.

I think my good mood today really has everything to do with the numbers on the scale yesterday.  I'm crossing my fingers that tomorrow morning when I step on the scale again that news will be better than today.  Of course, the news I got today was pretty good. :) I'm contributing my good day today to the warm rosy glow I got from the scale. I hope tomorrow is just as awesome.

Pounds lost: 13.7 (375.3)

Daily insight: I love it when a plan comes together.

Ounces of water consumed: 80

Steps in the right direction: 67

I’ve.. Just.. Got.. To.. Say.. IT!

O…M…G!

It’s been five days since I last posted and things have been nuts around here. I love saying that because even though you aren’t present to see what I mean, I’m completely serious about it. LOL

I worked a long day for my Dad on the 31^st (We kicked butt, lemme tell ya!) so my sister and I had to cancel our plans for getting together to ring in the beginning of the new calendar year. She and I both wanted SLEEP. But I ended up staying up long enough to say Happy New Year to my sleepy eyed puppy.

The next day I went back to my Dad’s to finish up and was treated to a fantastic bowl of soup for lunch and an amazing treat for dinner! I love working for my parents, they always feed me so good. Hehehe. I still hadn’t brought my desktop in from the car so I didn’t get the chance to post anything.

The next day, Sunday, I needed to get rolling on an assignment that was due on Monday so I spent the day fighting with my voice recognition software until I finally gave in and just typed it all myself. The microphone on the headset is so touchy that if I had to take off the headset to go do something that when I came back I had to recalibrate it so that it could recognize that the word trapeze wasn’t actually trap a disease. SIGH. And once again because I didn’t want to “waste” time hooking up my desktop I used the laptop that doesn’t connect easily to the Internet so I didn’t post. Well, that and when I finally called it quits for the day it was after midnight.

Yesterday, Monday, I was trying to finish what I started on Sunday since I hadn’t managed to get more than 5-10 done and made the mistake of trying once more to use my voice recognition software. After an hour of trying to convince the program that bedding wasn’t betting or wetting or petting I wanted to throw my headset across the room. Needless to say, I need to look into a pair where the microphone stays facing the right way no matter how often I take it off and put it back on. I ended up using the laptop again, but wasn’t able to finish before midnight. SIGH.

Thankfully, my employer gladly gave me another day. Sooooooooo, today I busted them out! But because my arms were hurting from using the laptop I finally got off my lazy backside and brought the desktop back into the house and hooked it up. Viola! I was back in business and cranked the rest of them out as well as two additional 500+ word articles. I was on fire, baby!

I discovered tonight when I was reading over my last blog post that I didn’t note my weight last Thursday. Well, I can tell you that I wasn’t happy with it. I can’t remember what it was exactly, but I know that it showed me that I had gained rather than lost weight. Of course yesterday when I got brave and stepped on again the scale told me something COMPLETELY different. LOL But I’m going to wait until Thursday for my official weigh-in before I enter the number in to the blog.

Ok, I know there was more I wanted to say, but it all slipped out of my ear about 10 minutes ago. I think that’s a hint that it’s time for bed. And.. I’m off!

Pounds lost: 13.7 (375.3)

Daily insight: Never doubt yourself or you’ll just prove yourself wrong.

Ounces of water consumed: 80

Steps in the right direction: 66

Normalcy is overrated.. right?

I could sooo blame the lack of normal route on Mercury being in retrograde, but that’s only going to last a little longer and then the truth will come out that I’m a mess of poor time management. :)

So, I might a well admit it now. I’m not very well organized. At least not as organized as I used to be. When I was at work my work was always well organized and I was easily able to complete tasks in the time allotted me. Now that I’m self employed my ability to do that has completely flown out the window.

Of course, there are times when something helps me lose track of time, but that’s not as often as I would like. It’s usually all on me. LOL

Today I did accomplish a lot, in retrospect, but it didn’t feel like a lot as the day progressed. I should be proud of what I did do and move on with a more positive note. Ah ha! An excellent plan Watson!

Tomorrow is my day to get things settled and finished so I’m ready to dig into Inventory on Thursday and Friday. I have a “To do” list that I plan on completing. I guess you’ll know how well I did when I check in tomorrow evening.

Diet went better than planned today since I had no plan at all. :D But I do know that Thursday’s weigh in will show that I’ve gained some weight. I suppose it’s to be expected with the piss poor food choices I’ve been making, but that doesn’t make me grumble any less. I looks like I’m going to be making a new affirmation come the end of the calendar year to help me get back on track. The solar year ended, the pagan New Year already passed, so I might as well learn a little something from the usual resolutions made at the calendar New Year.

I hope if you’re making resolutions for yourself this year that you don’t forget to include the “Be nicer to myself because I’m doing the best I can” resolution to your list. :)

Pounds lost: 13.7 (375.3)

Daily insight: Things work out even if they aren’t according to plan.

Ounces of water consumed: 64

Steps in the right direction: 59

A long reprieve…

It feels like it’s been a week since I’ve sat down at the computer. When I signed off on Thursday I shut the computer down completely and focused on finishing presents for my family that celebrate Christmas and the parties I had planned.

Friday my sister and her kids came over, which was wonderful, so that they could share their Christmas morning with me. It really touched my heart that they wanted to be here for it. My sister had to drag me out of the office and away from sewing to spend some time with them before they went to bed. In the morning she had to drag me out of bed (I was sooo tired!) so I could watch the joy of presents and love.

Saturday was the party for one part of the family. Everyone helped me get the house in party shape while I continued to sew in the office. I had the door closed so no one could peek. :D When everyone got there I found myself stuck in the kitchen and was sad to realize that they had opened their secret Santa gifts without me. I admit the fatigue combined with being left out had me going into my room to cry it out. I realized later the other reason was because I opened a letter from a potential employer that turned out to be a rejection letter. I was devastated by that letter and hadn’t given in to the tears that needed to be shed until later. Everyone headed back to their prospective homes and I went back to work sewing and preparing for the party on Sunday.

I was up until 2am, but I finished. In the morning when I got out of bed I finished the last little bit of touch up work that needed to be done on the gifts and wrapped them all. Then I started cooking, marinating, baking, and mixing. My sister and her kids came over early to help me prepare the house and me for the party for the other side of the family that evening.

Everything turned out so amazing! The food was great, the desert rocked, and the company was beyond wonderful. I had finally escaped my place in the kitchen after dinner and was able to mingle. After my parents and Liz left, my sister and her kids stayed to hang out with me more. We visited and laughed and I once again reveled in the blessings of being home with my family.

Today, I slept in sooooo long my body protested. LOL Then I got dressed and met my Stepmom and her mom for a visit with my Aunt and Uncle so we could see all of their holiday decorations. My goodness there was so many! We had lunch at a great Himalayan restaurant. I had never had Himalayan and really enjoyed it! We had a great time chatting and my Aunt and I talked a little about a project to create unique stockings to sell. Sounds like a great idea!

Now I’m back home and trying to get back into the swing of things so I can turn in the work I have due. My eyes keep closing on me and my brain keeps clicking (and not in a good way) so I think I might have to just start fresh in the morning and keep at it until all of my work is complete. We’ll see how I feel after dinner.

Pounds lost: 13.7 (375.3)

Daily insight: Which way is up?

Ounces of water consumed: 64

Steps in the right direction: 58

Short but sweet…

Tonight’s post is going to be super short. I’ve overloaded myself (surprise, hmm?) and have a to do list longer than my arm! Sooooo… here’s the quickie version.

Today was full of writing and wondering how many hours I can steal from tomorrow to cram into today. I’m going to be doing an all nighter, more than likely, but don’t tell anyone (*presses the invisibility button so none of the family can read this post! Dang, where’d the button go??*). I want to makes sure I finish everything so that all I have to do Friday-Sunday is focus on cooking for the family that’ll be here and enjoy myself.

The diet was ok today, so concentrated on work that I used cheese sticks for more than one meal and supplemented the absence of another with a few gulps of milk. Hmm.

I did weigh in and did manage to shuck of a half of a pound. Can’t be grumpy (well, I can but…) about it. A loss is a loss.

And, I’m on my last 30 ounces to get in all my water for the day. Yay!

Ok, I’m out!

Pounds lost: 13.7 (375.3)

Daily insight: ………………………………………….Beep, Beep, slower traffic to the right please!……………………………………….

Ounces of water consumed: 80

Steps in the right direction: 54

Blessed Yule!

What a good day I had today. :) But before I talk about today, I have to talk about what happened last night. The full moon lunar eclipse! Gasp! It was beautiful! It was already a powerful deal with a full moon and an eclipse, but add in the Solstice and it was crazy amazingly rad! Ok, ok.. so I’m still a little excited about it. I can’t help it.

I did a full moon/eclipse ritual and set out a glass vessel filled with fresh water to soak up the power of the celestial alignment. Mother moon, father sun, and the earth in a straight line. Powerful, heady stuff! I once did a blue moon water empowerment and used the water for many things all year including pouring it on a plant that wasn’t doing so well. The plant flourished.

Here are some of pictures I took of the eclipse last night. :)

This is the first picture I took just before it started.

Just the tiniest bit was gone.

Nearly half way gone.

Almost completely gone!

Such an amazing color! There was this huge ring around the eclipse and since my sky had gone miraculously clear I could see all the other stars in the sky shining so bright! It really made the ring stand out. It was spectacular.

This one is my favorite because the Moon had turned this cool black/purple/red/brown color!

I was so jazzed from it that I ended up staying awake until 3am. When I woke up this morning I was like.. wow, I feel so rested! Today was another busy day of preparing for ritual and my Mom and niece to come over to do some print/photo work on my computer. They didn’t get here as early as I expected and I’m sorry to say I bristled under the upset of my plans. But after I realized that Solstice doesn’t have to be performed at a specific time I shut up about it and just enjoyed the rest of the visit.

My Mom, for the first time, made a special point of giving me a Yule gift. She worked really hard on it and I think it’s beautiful! It really means a lot to me that my Mom is making an effort to respect my beliefs and wants to be a part of my holiday. Here’s the beautiful wreath she made me.

My Yule ritual was fantastic and so full of joy and noise and freedom and energy! This is the first time I haven’t had a neighbor above me, below me, beside me or wherever that I feared might here my rite and act like an idiot later. I do have neighbors here but there are rooms between them and I on one side and an open green space on the other side of me. I could raise my voice as I raised power and run through the house yelling “Welcome back light!” as much as I wanted. :D It was a truly joyous experience! I came away from it with such energy that the whole house feels brighter. I am blessed!

Happy rebirth, God! Happy reuniting, Goddess! Much love from your little pagan hearted me!

The diet went pretty good considering the happy madness. I cleaned out my fridge so that should make things sooo much easier when it comes to planning and making meals. I found my cheese sticks that were hiding behind some seriously old OJ. Yay! Water intake was great. I’m looking forward to tomorrow!

Pounds lost: 13.2 (375.8)

Daily insight: Is it wrong to happy dance around the house with wild hair and ribbons and a drum? :D

Ounces of water consumed: 80

Steps in the right direction: 52

Contented chaos…

Today was a busy day. I got up early to run my holiday cards to the post office (I know, I know.. laaaaaaate) and am just glad that I got them on their way. My family and friends know I love them, but it’s always nice to get a card in the mail. :) I then went and picked up my sister so she can do her stealthy business at my house in preparation of her holiday on the 25^th. She and my nephew had to make a quick trip back into town so I ran off for an errand of my own.

When I got back I had just missed my sister and with a pout went inside to get to work. I was pleasantly surprised about an hour later when my nephew called and said they were on their way back. Three visits in one day? Yay!

While they were here I skipped the computer for a hot glue gun so I could finish my tree skirt. I think it turned out great! A little small, though, so I might have to add some more felt around the edges and hide it with ribbon. :) I had to cut it small because I ran out of paisley ribbon. Hehe. Figures!

I burned my fingers and attacked myself with the glue gun, but all’s well that ends well.

I’m really looking forward to the lunar eclipse of the full moon tonight/tomorrow morning. It’s very exciting, especially since it coincides with the Solstice! Here on the west coast the eclipse is to start at 10:33 pm and last for a total of 3-1/2 hours. Now, it’ll take some time to get to it’s zenith and for the moon to take on a dark red/brown color, so I’m thinking I should hold off on going outside until about 11:41 pm. NASA says it’ll be at it’s totality at 12:17am, so I might just wait until closer to that time. Of course, it’s storming here and I can only hope to see the moon let alone the eclipse, but my fingers are crossed that I’ll get at least a break in the clouds to honor the Mother and such a momentous event. The last time a lunar eclipse happened at the same time as solstice was in 1638! It hasn’t happened in 372 years! It’s supposed to happen again in 2094. Yeah, I’m thinking this lifetime will have been long over and I’ll be on my newest one by that time. Wouldn’t that be a cool past life regression session!

The triple cool thing is that this is all happening when the Ursids meteor shower is also going to be happening. Now this meteor shower happens every year at this time, but come on.. how cool is this!?

Earlier today while working my puppy was sleeping in her little bed and she started snoring something awful! I looked over and she was curled into a tiny ball and sleeping hard! I smiled and thought to myself.. there’s nothing better than a happy puppy snore.

Today the diet was crap, I admit it. I got caught up in the chaos and didn’t check myself. But thankfully I did get in all of my water today. Yay! Thank goodness for small blessings.

I’m still working on my ritual for tomorrow. I think I’m getting close to having it figured out. Going to take care of some household chores tonight before full moon/eclipse ritual. I hope you get outside to enjoy the celestial event!

Pounds lost: 13.2 (375.8)

Daily insight: It’ll take 72 minutes for the sun’s shadow to move across the moon? Sounds like me on a good day. :D

Ounces of water consumed: 80

Steps in the right direction: 51

I didn’t think my fingers typed that fast…

Oh boy, lemme tell ya! Yesterday was an adventure! I really need to figure out how long it takes me to write an article because yesterday I was on the whooooole day. And by on I mean I was sitting at this computer researching and typing until my eyes crossed. LOL I ended up writing 19 articles in a single day. I do NOT want to do that again.

Thankfully, today I found out that they really liked my work and want me to work for them again. I wonder if I can negotiate a higher price per article. :)

Today I overslept and it threw me off balance for the whole day. If I remember right I didn’t eat until about 3:30pm and haven’t eaten since. It’s weird but I’m not hungry. I know tomorrow I will be VERY hungry. I should have stocked up today. LOL Oh well, I can protein shake myself to death tomorrow. :D

I couldn’t find a tree skirt that I liked and my old one is just a little too dingy for me. Sooooo, when I went looking for one I was so disappointed. I wasn’t going to pay $15 for a skirt that was pretty, sure, but I could probably make myself. Huh, that’s an idea! I left the holiday decoration isle and made my way over to where the ribbons and fabric were. I found some ribbon I really liked and bought some heavy felt.. and I’m making my tree skirt! I’m hoping to have a pic of it posted as soon as I finish. I really like it. Might be another item to add to my business website. :)

I put on the blog that I’ve had 64 ounces of water, but I’m admitting now that I’m not sure I’ll be able to drink it all in the next hour and a half. If it ends up that I couldn’t do it, I’ll say so in tomorrow’s post. I have to keep myself honest to get where I need to go, right? Right.

Tomorrow should be a good day and I’m looking forward to it. I have a LOT to do but I’m willing! Keep your fingers crossed for me.

Pounds lost: 13.2 (375.8)

Daily insight: Hurry! Now wait. Now HURRY! LOL

Ounces of water consumed: 64

Steps in the right direction: 49

Count your blessings…

One of my favorite holiday movies was on the TV today providing the most wonderful background noise as I worked. I really miss the beauty and showmanship of the movies from days gone by. It always seemed to me that everyone in the movie was happy to be there and were really committed to doing their best. Why is it that it never seems like that today?

One of my favorite songs from that movie is “Count your blessings”. This song is one that people today should take a lesson from. When things aren’t going your way, you should remind yourself of all of the good things that are happening in your life. I know that for me, even during my darkest days, there was always something that happened I could hold on to as being a good thing. Sometimes that good thing was nothing more than the way the sun shone through the leaves of a tree. But at least it was something.

I do think that if we spent more time, perhaps on a daily basis, to count our blessings we might be more grateful for the lives we have. I’m blessed with a family that loves me, a puppy that always wants to be in my arms, friends that remember me even from a distance, and a roof over my head. There are more, of course, but those are the ones that stand out the most in my mind right now.

This morning when I stripped and stepped on the scale it took me a moment to look down to see what the display said. I was prepared to be disappointed and even frustrated. Although I am a little disappointed and frustrated with myself over my lack of willpower, I was pleased to see that I was down 0.7 lbs. I know, I know.. not even a full pound but beggars can’t be choosers! It brings my total weight loss to 13.2 lbs and that’s nothing to sneeze at.

I’ve been so busy with my work today that I admit I ate less than I should have for most of the day, but I pried myself away from my desk to eat a full dinner…preparing for sitting at my desk the rest of the night to complete the work I have promised by tomorrow. I did get all of my water, though, and that does seem to be important in my weight loss.

As long as I keep moving forward things can never be too bad.

Pounds lost: 13.2 (375.8)

Daily insight: “When you’re worried and you can’t sleep.. just count your blessings instead of sheep.. and you’ll fall asleep counting your blessings”

Ounces of water consumed: 80

Steps in the right direction: 47

Productive day…

After my post last night I couldn’t sleep. I knew part of the reason was because I was anxious over an interview I had today. So, to help ease my anxiety and to increase my feelings of capability I cut out material for a skirt and a shirt that I would sew to wear for my interview today. Before I went to bed I pinned the pieces together as much as possible so that I could easy zip through the sewing in the morning.

When I woke up I took a shower and then sat to sew my outfit. I’ve been having arguments with my sewing machine but I after I pulled out my old machine and discovered I didn’t know where the power cord was I went ahead and used my newer (rather cranky) machine. Things were going along fine until I was at the end of sewing my shirt. Suddenly the tension went a little nuts and I couldn’t get it to flatten out. I opened the machine and a pin, that had been bent when the needle hit it and broke a minute before, bent a small piece of metal that the thread loops around before catching the bobbin and being released. SIGH. I bent it back and continued to sew. Not only did the tension not reset the machine now makes a twanging noise when the thread releases from the little metal piece. Tomorrow morning I’m going to have to call and get the machine worked on again.

To still be able to wear my shirt (It looked so good!) I pulled out the safety pins and made the shirt wearable. I was so scared it would fall apart while I wore it. LOL! The interview went really well and now all I have to do is wait until Friday to hear back. Fingers, toes, and eyes crossed!

When I got home I ate a little lunch and then sat down to write. And write I did! I realized that I had forgotten to pick something up so at 850pm I ran out to get something I needed for tomorrow. Phew! Productive and active day!

When I sat down to write this post I thought back over the day and discovered that I took pride in what I did today. My want to bring intent back into my life has begun. Although I was in a rush and had to hurry to get to my interview on time I enjoyed the process of the chaos that took me from my apartment to the office. I completed the tasks I had for myself today and invested myself in the completion of them. That made me feel good inside. I strive to continue this accomplishment tomorrow.

Pounds lost: 12.5 (376.5)

Daily insight: Safety pins are a life saver!

Ounces of water consumed: 64

Steps in the right direction: 45

Holiday Cheer…

This weekend I was able to get out and decorate the front of my home with cheerful color strings of lights and a wonderful string of stars that light up on blue, red, and green. A couple of my neighbors stopped by to talk to me while I was doing it and made suggestions and comments that would always lead to a smile or a laugh. I light making my house look like a gingerbread house, outlined in lights that make me think of candy when they are on and it’s dark outside.

Tonight I was able to go and see my sister and my nephew. It was a wonderful escape from my house and when I was there I talked my sister into coming back to my place to get some of her holiday decorations. It’s a chore for her to go through the stuff she has stored here but I knew the reward would be well worth it. She went through her bins and found some things to reminisce about. On the way back home we stopped off so I could pick up something at a local big box store and then chatted and laughed all the way back to her place.

Later, after I was back home I received a text message picture of my nephew in front of their tree. I loved it! My sister said he had been singing holiday songs since they began decorating the tree. Holiday cheer has infested their home. LOL Wonderful!

I realized today that I hadn’t begun making the Yule gifts I’m giving out this year. Fie! I’ve been so caught up with freelancing that I haven’t been paying attention to the calendar. I have the pattern for what I want to make and ideas about most of it. I need to start cutting and preparing this coming week.

I also realized that I hadn’t addressed or filled out my Yule cards. This is sooo typically me. LOL I make big plans and then realize I’m behind and have to hurry. So, I figure while I’m sitting at the desk tomorrow staring at blank pages in Word I’ll be working on Yule cards while working on my assigned writing. We’ll see how that works out!

Pounds lost: 12.5 (376.5)

Daily insight: It’s only too late to start something if it was due yesterday.

Ounces of water consumed: 64

Steps in the right direction: 43

Exploring change…

One of the most pronounced and repetitive things we deal with in this life is change. As a pagan when we work magic we are creating change through the conformity of will. That means we are encouraging change every time we cast or create new beginnings. Change can be a positive force in life.

I remember once when I participated in a Bay Area event based on the Elysian Mysteries…when I traveled into the “underground” and met with Hades he asked me what I wanted, what I needed…and I told him CHANGE. He told me to beware of what I was asking for, but I knew that I needed things in my life to change. I was willing to allow it to change in negative ways in hopes that the changes would be positive as well. As above, so below, after all.

Change did happen for me. It was the following December that found me relocated to Anaheim. While my time in southern California kept me from my family there were a lot of positive changes that happened down there as well. I graduated with my Bachelor’s and went back for and got my Master’s. I lost 50 lbs and in the course became a BBW model for a little while. I dated and determined what I was looking for in the world of love and marriage. I gained it all back (blech), but that is the negative side of change rearing its head. You have to learn to take the good with the bad.

Change can be a positive force in your life if you let it be. The best way to create change for good is to not be afraid of it. You must be able to recognize change when it’s heading toward you and you must be willing to make adjustments in your life to either integrate the change or discover ways to avoid it. Now, remember that avoiding change in general will be detrimental to your life. There’s no such thing as something that never changes.

Never fear change, for it’s always there just around the corner. What will change next?

Pounds lost: 11.2 (377.8)

Daily insight: Change can lead to so many wonderful things.

Ounces of water consumed: 60

Steps in the right direction: 28

Contemplating thanks…

Today I am once again thankful. I’m thankful for the time I have with my family and I am thankful to have them in my life. I feel blessed to have been witness to their lives and to have them be witness to mine. I could not be the person I am today or the person I’m striving to be if not for them.

I spent the day with my sister helping her to take care of something that she needed to take care of. I am so thankful that I could be here for her when she needs me because she’s always there for me when I need her. She’s not only my sibling, she’s my friend. I am blessed to have her in my life.

I wasn’t able to do the cooking and prep work that I needed to do for tomorrow so I’m going to bed early in hope that I can get up early and take care of the dishes I’m bringing to the family thanksgiving. I am saddened knowing that I will have to miss one gathering in favor of the other. I wanted to be able to celebrate with my Dad, Step-mom, Grandma, Grandpa, and GG. If things go well tomorrow morning and I can be done in time I still want to go over there before I head over to the big party at my brother’s house. Cross your fingers for me that I can get everything done fast! I think the best way for that to happen is by not making the pumpkin bread. That just means I’ll have another excuse to visit with family AFTER Thanksgiving! Yay!

The diet today took a hit and so did my water intake because of where I was today. I get to weigh myself tomorrow and I’m a little worried. Buuuuuut, I did do mostly liquid on 2 days last week so that might really help me out.

I have something special for you all tomorrow. It’s a ritual of thanksgiving that can be done any day of the year, but I favor it on the holiday we’ve taken into our hearts here in the US. I will post the ritual, as well as where it can be found from the publisher, tomorrow when I report in.

Until then, I hope you have a wonderful night and spend tomorrow surrounded by those you love and love you in return.

Pounds lost: 7.2 (381.8)

Daily insight: Never forget to open your eyes and look around you from time to time; you’ll love what you see.

Ounces of water consumed: 30

Steps in the right direction: 24