A Year From Now

A year from now. 

Author Karen Lamb advises, " A year from now you will wish you had started today." Wise words to me. What I have found to be true is that whether you take action or not a year will most likely go by regardless. 

A year ago Chuck and I were attempting to take a selfie at The Star in Frisco, very poorly I must admit. We had absolutely no idea that in a year we would have sold our house, moved to an apartment, and would be awaiting the birth of our second grandchild. 

A lot can happen in a year, and there is no sense not getting started on something you have been wanting to do. Why only reading one book a month results in twelve books read in a year. Author Gretchen Rubin says, "We often have a tendency to over estimate what we can do in a short period of time, but underestimate what we can do in a year." 

Rubin also likes to look toward September as the beginning of a new year. As a retired teacher this makes perfect sense to me, because the start of a new school year always began around September, and with it the promise of something new. 

So if you've been wanting to try something, why not get started this September. You might be surprised at all you can accomplish in a year. 

Texas Strong

Texas Strong.

I can't even fathom for one second what the people of Houston and the Gulf coast must be going through right now. Literally cold, wet and hungry, and having no idea when they can return to their homes, they must be scared. 

The news has shown neighbor helping neighbor, and even stranger helping stranger. It seems just the other day it only reported about hate, but that all changed when a trillion gallons of water made itself known. I'm proud of our state, and  the rest of the country as it pulls together to help a state in need. 

One thing I've learned about tragedy is that given the chance people really do want to help. God Bless Texas!

Patience

Patience. 

I often remind my husband that I'm not a naturally patient person. Any patience I do have has been learned after thirty years of teaching. I do most things quickly, including talking, and have a difficult time waiting. I'd rather go inside than wait in a drive through, and I'm known for traveling all the back roads to avoid the traffic. This might have been an inherited trait as my father was the same way. 

 Ralph Waldo Emerson said of patience, "Adopt the pace of nature; her secret is patience." 

As a lover of nature I found these words to be true, and was reminded of the summer I decided to do some container gardening. What I soon learned was that if I was depended on my crop I would have starved. Nothing happens quickly, requires constant watering in the hot summer sun, and often time produces less than stellar results. After my one inch bell pepper, my bird-pecked tomatoes, and my non-existent jalapeños.  I told Chuck that I would be spending my $35.00 next year at the farmers market! 

Although, I am not naturally patient, I do see the value of patience, and strive to make it a part of my life. I've found this easier to do by taking life one day at a time. In my earlier years I would always be looking toward the next thing, and counting impatiently as I did so. 

Of course, it has become easier now that I'm older, and time literally flies. I blink and the new month has appeared on my calendar with me scratching my head in disbelief that it had flown by so quickly. 

So rather than always rushing through impatiently anticipating the next thing, take a cue from nature, and slow down your pace enjoying the now.

Less

Less.

I'm not quite sure when I decided that more was better than less? It seems that our culture encourages us to aspire for more. But what if less was actually better?

I ran across a book the other day that caught my eye entitled The Joy of Less, by Francine Jay. Now not only does Jay seem to advocate for less, but she insists that there is joy found in doing so. 

As a child I certainly had enough, but never as much as I wanted. With six kids in my family no one really ever had too much. As a beginning teacher I longed for more, but my meager paycheck didn't seem to cooperate. 

Overtime, though, I found myself owning more and more. So much so that I really wasn't sure what I owned or where to find it. Last fall as Chuck and I began to declutter our house, I found myself anything but joyful as I pulled my never ending abundance out of closets and drawers. 

Today I understand the idea of less, and the joy it can bring. No longer encumbered by my material possessions I don't have to store them, or dust them, or worry about them. Now I know exactly what I have and they are things I really need and love. 

"Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful"

William Morris

Let Sleeping Cats Lie

Let sleeping cats lie. 

I was gone for several days last week to help my daughter and her family move. I took Cooper along as I always do, but Abby my cat, who does not like to travel stayed behind with Chuck. 

When I arrived home Abby was no where to be seen. I called her name several times, but she did not make her appearance known. I actually began to panic, and resorted to shaking her foods canister in hopes she would appear. 

Apparently, she was giving me the cold shoulder, but couldn't resist the lure of food. I apologized for being gone so long, and it wasn't too much longer that she was purring contentedly on my chest. Well for a few seconds that is, because she actually prefers my husband's lap, and as soon as he sat down I was chopped liver. 

What I did notice about an hour later, though, was she was lying above me on the edge of the couch purring quite loudly. Her eyes were on the brink of sleep, and I realized that she must have really missed me, because her usual spot of choice is the bend of the sectional. 

Her purring was quite relaxing, and she made me happy to be home. 

The Spice of Life

The spice of life. 

To be honest, sometimes it doesn't take much to foster my enthusiasm. Take a pantry, and a built-in spice rack for instance. 

My daughter and son-in-law have recently moved into a house that was built over fifty years ago as they look for a home to purchase in their new small town. The owners have done a great job of updating the look of the house, but I was especially impressed by the pantry. 

Now I'm not sure if the pantry is the original design or if it was added later, but either way I have never seen one quite like it before. After seeing it though, I decided that if we ever build another house, I'm going to look for a way to encorporate something like it in my pantry design. 

Basically, there is a spice-sized shelf that runs the perimeter of the pantry. What this shelf does is provide a full view of your spices. No more digging around for that elusive coriander. What a brilliant idea! With the simple addition of a shelf, life becomes a whole lot easier, and food a whole lot tastier. 

Genius

Genius. 

I love a clever solution to a problem. This past weekend we helped our daughter and son-in-law move. They were fortunate that my son-in-law's new boss had provided an eighteen wheeler to help move their stuff. 

My daughter had made arrangements for a crew from a local moving company to help move the heavier furniture and appliances. Although, the eighteen wheeler had plenty of room, what it didn't have was a ramp. Attempting to load the refrigerator and the washer and dryer proved to be challenging without one. 

When I walked out into the garage I saw the most remarkable thing. The washer was effortlessly being pushed between the eighteen wheeler and the moving company's truck on a ramp affixed to both vehicles. I was taken aback, and inquired as to whose idea it was to solve the problem in such a clever way. One of my son-in-law's co-workers had solved the problem beautifully. Use the ramp from the moving truck to move the appliances up into that truck first. Then attach the ramp between the two trucks. Finally, move the appliances from one truck to the next. Brilliant!

Of course, how do you solve the problem of getting the appliances off at the other end? Easy. My son-in-law's new co-worker and the driver of the eighteen wheeler drove his forklift over to their new house, and easily removed the fridge, and washer and dryer off the truck without a ramp. 

I love a clever solution every time!

Upcoming Events

Upcoming events. 

I've got three events coming up that I'm looking forward to. One is a Bible Journaling workshop, another is an author talk by one of my favorites, and the third is the Texas Veggie Fair. 

Next week I'll be attending the Bible Journaling event with a newly retired former co-worker of mine. I have attended a demonstration before, but thought it might be fun to go again for some new inspiration. My friend has done some pretty nice artwork since retiring, and I thought she might enjoy attending as well. 

The other event features author Gretchen Rubin discussing her latest book, The Four Tendencies. She will be in the metroplex area in September and the event is sponsored by a local library and is free. A couple of years ago I attended an event where I was able to meet Gretchen in person, and enjoyed hearing about her then latest book. I've really learned quite a bit over the years from her insight on the world. 

In October I'm looking forward to attending the Texas Veggie Fair in hopes of learning more about the benefits of plant-based eating. Again, I'll be looking for inspiration, new recipe ideas, new foods and fun. 

I really like having things to look forward to that I know I'll enjoy, and I'm always on the lookout for interesting events. More to follow about each in future postings. 

Busted

Busted. 

I've written before about Cooper's little incident with crime involving a certain tennis ball. Well Coop's been sighted breaking the rules again, but this time I have to admit he's just an accessory, and I'm the culprit.

The other day I took Cooper out to our favorite courtyard in order for him to take care of his business. Now I know the rules clearly state that he's supposed to be on leash at all times, but if no one is there I've gotten in the habit of letting him go in order to find his spot of choice. So far this really hasn't been a problem. 

That is until a few days ago when one of the leasing agents who lives on the property brought her two on-leash dogs into the same courtyard. Now Coop was the perfect gentleman, but a few hours later I noticed a Facebook posting reminding tenets to keep their dog on a leash. 

Now I've lived there for five months, and this is the first time I've ever seen a reminder posting. Most of the time it's really something up-beat like a party or something. Busted! I'm thinking Coop and I are now following in the footsteps of Bonnie and Clyde. We've been warned that any other infractions could result in some sort of leasing violation. 

Along with the leash reminder came the really big problem of not picking up after your dog. Now with no interrogation or forced confession I can honestly say that Cooper and I always come fully prepared with a regulation Puppy Poop bag, and have NEVER been guilty of this really gross infraction. I guess there really is some sort of honor among thieves, and you have to draw the line somewhere. 

You know what they say? Three strikes and you're out. I guess Cooper and I have a very thin line to walk if we want to remain in good standing with the powers that be. 

Bird Laughing

Bird laughing. 

I was visiting my daughter and noticed that the blinds in the guest bedroom had been pulled up. I asked whether she had pulled them up so my grandson could look out of the window without damaging the blinds?

"As a matter of fact," she replied, "I caught him in here the other day laughing." Apparently he was looking out the window watching a bird. Whatever the bird was doing, he couldn't help but laugh. 

As I imagined him doing so I found my heart swelling up with the love I feel more and more for this boy. I'm wondering what he found so amusing as he watched the tiny, winged creature? However, more than anything I just wanted to follow his example and laugh at birds. 

Something so simple, so pure, so innocent made me feel that perhaps there is hope for the world we live in. Maybe we should all take up bird laughing.

What's New?

What's new?

Silk Caramel Almond Creamer- I think I may have found my non-dairy creamer alternative. I tried the Vanilla as well, but like the Caramel flavor more. Speaking of creamer, I did locate my favorite HEB creamer with all the chemicals at Sprout. What's a person to do?

Harvest Restaurant- This past weekend I discovered an amazing restaurant in of all places Comanche, Tx. Comanche is about thirty minutes from Stephenville, and this restaurant uses produce from local farms, and the food quality is outstanding. If you are in the area you'll find this place on the square. 

Almond Butter- I'm a pretty big peanut butter fan, but I've been intrigued by nut butters. I haven't actually tried it yet, but I did pick up a jar this week. I'm hoping I like it. 

Vegan Cheese- I also bought some Monterey Jack almond cheese to use in quesadillas. It's supposed to be melty so I'm hoping for a "cheesy" quesadilla later this week. 

Capris- My hard work is paying off while my shorts and capris appear to be falling off. I purchased some new pants in a smaller size this week. To be honest they still are a little tight, but I was afraid if I waited too long they'd all be gone for the season. Woo Hoo!

The Lost Symbol- I'm reading this thriller by Dan Brown, and although it's going slowly I am enjoying the intrigue. Unfortunately my i Pad seems to get in the way of me reading fiction, but I'm reading right before bed now, and enjoying it. It also is a better non-tech way to wind down for a better night's sleep. 

"I have no special talent. I am only passionately curious."

Albert Einstein 

Change the Plan

Change the plan. 

If you are like me, you like to have a plan when it comes to doing things.  If there is something I want to accomplish I generally have some sort of plan, and I'm pretty good at sticking to the plan. I just keep plodding along until I get there. Most of the time this works. 

Except for when it doesn't. As good as plans might be, sometimes they just don't work, and they require a new plan. So rather than give up, it's best to just change the plan. I began my weight loss journey back in April when it became apparent that nothing fit anymore. I had given away my "just in case" sized clothes months before in hopes that by not having them anymore I would not allow myself to gain weight. 

Unfortunately life sometimes gets in the way, and here I was a year later about fifteen pounds heavier. So I did what I always do, and went back to Weight Watchers. Now I will be the first to tell you, that for me, this is a really good plan. Being on Weight Watchers allows me a way to track my food, have the support of others in the same situation, and to be accountable to myself. However, what I've noticed as I've gotten older is that what used to come off quickly and easily now seems to creep off. Yes, each week I was losing weight, but always less than a pound. 

My Weight Watcher leader would remind me that a loss is a loss, and she was correct, except my snail-like pace was not helping my motivation as the weeks went by. I decided I needed to change the plan a little.  After checking into a more plant-based diet I decided to give it a try. I added more vegetables and legumes to my diet along with fruits and grains. I limited my meat consumption, and avoided dairy because of its high fat content.  

What I found was that for the next several weeks my loss was over a pound. The scale began dropping, and I was challenging myself each week to try new plant-based options. To be honest, I've been blown away at how delicious my meals have become. Now when I do reach my goal, and am on maintenance i know I will have to change the plan again. However, what I have learned is that giving up is not the answer. Changing the plan might be the better way. 

Not Missing It

Not missing it. 

Well I can honestly say that after eight years I don't get that same twinge when I pass by the Back to School displays that I used to. I was at Walmart the other day, and as I walked out of the store like every other non-teacher I realized that I had crossed over to the other side. 

During my early retirement years I found myself drawn toward the Crayola markers, the glue sticks and the composition notebooks. I'd stock up just in case, and when I tutored part-time I still had an excuse to participate in the yearly ritual of all things school supply. 

Earlier this summer I did pick up a few things to donate to our apartment school supply drive, but I did so with no hesitation. For me it took a long time to transition away from elementary school teacher, but to quote a good friend, "I'll always be a teacher at heart." It's just that I don't miss getting my classroom ready for the year, buying Elmer's glue since the district took it off the list, or the beginning of the year staff development. I do miss the smiles on my student's faces when they enter the classroom ready for another day of learning, though. I guess you never really get past that. 

Best wishes to all my teacher friends for a great start of the year. 

Work in Progress

Work in progress.

A friend of mine posted the other day about her progress in a certain area. In her posting she referred to herself as a work in progress. I couldn't help but think, "Aren't we all?"

If we ever reach the point where we say we've finally gotten it all figured out, then maybe we need to go back to the drawing board. Throughout  life we will always be faced with new and different situations that will test our abilities. It's the whole you don't know what you don't know thing. 

I claim my work in progress status proudly, and hope that there will always be opportunities for me to stretch and grow. I don't ever want to think that I've got everything totally figured out. Not knowing is what makes life more interesting to me, because it's what motivates me to want to know.

So if you find yourself to be a work in progress don't consider that a bad thing. Embrace it, and gain the wisdom that it can bring. 

Novel and Complex

Novel and complex. 

One of the five categories that author Paul David Nussbaum writes about in his book, Save Your Brain, is mental stimulation. This domain has to do with the types of activities that you engage in that are good for your brain. 

Nussbaum writes, "The human brain seeks stimulation regardless of age." As we think about our golden years we might see ourselves doing our favorite hobbies and activities. Although, there is nothing wrong with this, if you think that these already mastered activities are going to keep your mind sharp then you might want to think again. 

The brain actually responds best to new activities that are novel and complex. If something is familiar and easy then the brain is not forming those new connections that helps its plasticity to remain. When I first learned to crotchet it was tedious and difficult for me. Trying to get my fingers to cooperate was a challenge. However, over time I found myself beginning to find a rhythm. I even discovered my favorite stitch, and spent many enjoyable hours repeating my beloved double crotchet. 

Now I might have thought that my new found hobby was beneficial  to my brain health, but in allowing it to become easy and routine I was not truly benefiting from all it had to offer. What I've since learned is that I need to continue to learn new things; like how to read a pattern, how to make a granny square, and how to do other stitches. My reluctance to do so had more to do with it being difficult, and my brain's natural inclination toward ease. 

Learning a new language, how to play an instrument, or a new board game are all better for your brain than sticking to those things you already know. Even reading about areas you are not familiar with causes you to work harder at comprehending the information.  When choosing something new ask yourself if it's novel and complex? If so then you are on the right track to better brain health. 

Double Promotion

Double promotion. 

A little over two years ago Chuck and I received a gift from our daughter and son-in-law. It was a sign that read, 

"Only the Best Parents Get Promoted to Grandparents." 

It was their clever way of announcing the pending birth of our first grandchild. 

Of course, just as everyone had promised, having a grandchild was like the icing on the cake of life. Our first grandchild was a boy, and since we had been the parents of a girl, we looked forward to experiencing all things boy. What a blessing it has been to get to know him, and his love of anything with wheels. 

We recently found out that our little guy is going to be a big brother. This announcement was via a tee shirt message that we conviently overlooked for the first few minutes. Of course, when we finally read the messge we were overjoyed about this new little one to be. 

Boy or girl we are looking forward to the beginning of the year, since we've pretty much got this grandparent thing down. 

Purpose

Purpose. 

I've been reading a lot lately about longevity and diet. In fact, there are some parts of the world where people live past one hundred on a regular basis. Not only do they reach this age, but they do so with independence and vigor. 

What I'm learning, though, is that diet is not the only thing that seems to matter when it comes to living a long life with quality. Having a sense of purpose may contribute to being a centenarian as well. 

The Japanese actually have a word for this-ikigai.  It's translation is simply, "reason for being."  This idea that having a reason to get out of bed each morning has shown to contribute to longevity. Of course, it makes perfect sense. 

In our younger days our purpose is very defined, and keeps us active and motivated. However, for some as they age, their lack of health and mobility may get in the way of knowing their purpose. 

The other day I volunteered at a local retirement community, and helped out with arts and crafts. What I found most rewarding, though, was watching one of the residents guiding along a less sure friend on how to complete the activity. Not surprising, I learned that she too was a retired teacher, and her purpose was shining loud and clear. Her patience and encouragement to her friend did our profession proud. 

As we enter the different seasons of our life our purpose will probably change, however, it will never go away. We all have our own ikigai, and in knowing so we can make a difference. 

The Questioner

The questioner.

I can't say that you could ever classify me as a rebel type. I'm generally pretty conforming, and don't like to draw too much attention to myself. I've been known to say more times than not that the rules are my friends. 

Except that in the midst of all that I am a questioner. I find myself wanting to know why? Once when Chuck and I were visiting Thomas Jefferson's home Monticello, we were bombarded by an annoying twelve year old who kept asking too many questions of the tour guide. We laughed about it later, but I could see a lot of myself in that annoying twelve year old. 

In reading Dr. Phil Johnson's book, Lead Like a Heretic, I find myself inspired to march to that different drum, rather than just follow along. I really never have been one to do something just because everyone else was, and I am not easily talked into doing things I don't want to do. However, the paradox here is that as different as I have been I've always wished I was more like others. 

Fitting in has always been important to me, and yet I've always felt a little out of alignment. In reading Johnson's book you realize that those throughout history that have made the greatest impact were those who didn't quite fit in with the status quo. They were able to question why, and had the courage to try something new. 

Accepting something because it's always been done that way, might not be the best approach. Daring to think differently might be the better way. 

New Things

New Things

Freekeh- This is an ancient African grain that is actually roasted green wheat. I heard about it at my Weight Watcher's meeting, and found it at Central Market. I bought an already prepackaged variety, but I have since learned that you can buy it there and at Sprouts in the bulk section. I'm making a Tabbouleh style salad with it, and am hoping it doesn't disappoint. 

Rock Painting- Okay we have succumbed to the lastest trend with a little rock painting. I'm hoping to leave them around the apartment complex, and who knows others might do the same. I loaded up on supplies at Michael's the other day, and found a plethora of Pinterest posts for inspiration.  

The Cheese Trap- If you are interested in learning more about dairy in your diet I have found Dr. Neal Barnard to be very knowledgeable. You can find him on You Tube if you are interested. I wrote about the non-dairy Parmesan I made the other day that was quite tasty. It's quite easy to prepare by blending together 1 cup of slivered almonds, 1/4 cup nutritional yeast, and 1/2 -3/4 teaspoon salt. Just pulse in the blender until the almonds are  ground up. 

Try it on pizza or popcorn. 

Avocado Toast- We've become obsessed with this new culinary delight. I basically mash up an avocado, give it a squirt of lime, and season it with a seasoning Brittany's college roommate's grandfather makes. It's a mystery, but delicious. We spread the avocado on some yummy grained toast, and if you want you can serve it with a fried egg on top. It's just a little bit of heaven. 

Luna Grill- If you are in the Southlake area near Southlake Town Center, you might want to try out this Mediterranean dining delight. They pride themselves on their fresh ingredients, and their food is delicious. The atmosphere is relaxing, and the combination makes for a nice dining experience. 

Bible Journaling- If you've been considering this I noticed that the Lifeway book stores in the area are hosting an event on August 22nd both during the day and at night. I've been before, but I'm planning on attending again to get some more inspiration. 

"Find joy in the ordinary."

Max Lucado

A Cheeseless World

A cheeseless world. 

Sounds pretty grim I know, but I've been reading a lot about the high fat content in cheese. Although, Weight Watchers allows all foods, it does recommend the low-fat dairy for this reason. However, I've never really cared for this version of tasteless cheese. 

I began to wonder, as my weight loss seemed to be coming off as slow as Christmas this time, what would happen if I just stopped eating cheese? Could it even be possible, because it is one of my most favorite things. In fact one year I actually asked for a fancy, expensive cheese as a stocking stuffer. Who does that?

In my reading I also learned that cheese actually contains something called Casein that really has an addictive quality to it. It's there so that the baby calf will keep returning to its mother for nourishment. So all this time I've been beating myself up for not being able to walk away from the macaroni and cheese, and I'm finding out there's just a few degrees of separation between me and a calf. 

One of my favorite snacks each day is popcorn. Popcorn that is popped in oil, salted and then doused with Parmesan cheese. Popcorn alone popped without oil is a pretty sad, dry dissapointment. What I realized, though, was that my popcorn was just a vehicle for oil, salt and cheese. 

So what's a body to do? Well not to be outsmarted by a block of cheese, I discovered a cheesy alternative that seems to be doing the trick. You blend together slivered almonds, nutritional yeast ( you get it at the healthfood store) and some salt and voila you have a non-dairy Parmesan cheese!

So far I've used it to make an amazing cheeseless pizza. I mean who knew it was even possible? Even more so, by popping my popcorn in the microwave without oil, and spritzing it with a tiny amount of olive oil, the salt and "Parmesan" stick to the fluffy kernels, and provide that cheesy salty taste, without the oily residue. 

I'm also skipping the cheese as a garnish on food, and am not noticing the difference. Sometimes our eating becomes more out of habit than anything else, and just like other things in life you might just want to "shake" things up a little bit, and try something different. 

False Reassurance

False reassurance. 

Richard Rohr writes, "The familiar and the habitual are so falsely reassuring, and most of us make our homes there permanently."

I think he is right. 

Why do we convince ourselves that just because it is the known it must be the better choice? Often times we'd rather not take a chance on something new because it might be worse. 

Now this is possible, but my experience has been that it is rarely true. Even decisions that I've made that I realized later were not what I wanted to continue to do all brought me opportunities for growth. When I made the radical move to middle school it didn't take me long to realize that I missed the younger ones. However, I taught with so many wonderful teachers, learned a multitude of interesting things in my new subject area, and left light years ahead in my technological abilities, I would not have traded that experience for anything. 

After leaving the classroom to become a reading specialist, I realized that I missed the hustle and bustle of the regular classroom. I never regretted taking that opportunity, though, because I became a much better reading teacher to the many students I taught over the years. 

Saying yes to new opportunities really can enrich your life. Don't be falsely assured that where you are is the best place to be, and don't be afraid to make a move. 

Food Adventure

Food adventure. 

I've been on a food adventure lately.  As I've been exploring healthy eating habits I'm finding myself on a food scavenger hunt. Now the beauty of retirement is that you do have the time to do this, and checking out different grocery venues have kind of become my golf game. 

I'm lucky that I'm so centrally located that I can be at either Sprouts, Whole Foods, Central Market, Trader Joe's, Aldi, or even a week-day Farmer's Market all within fifteen minutes. 

The result has been a whole lot of fresh fruits and vegetables, some specialty items, and many yummy meals. As I'm reading and researching I'm beginning to lean more toward primarily plant-based eating with limited dairy and oils. My motivation seems to be centered around keeping my brain healthy, and possibly not having to suffer from dementia in my older years. 

Now you might think that I'm lamenting having to give up some of my favorite foods, but if truth be told I'm actually finding foods that I really enjoy. The other night Chuck and I tried some vegetable fajitas at Mattito's Tex Mex and they were darn tasty. The veggies had been roasted and still had a crispness to them, and partnered with some guacamole and pico de gallo on a corn tortilla they made for a pretty tasty meal. 

What I'm discovering is that if you allow yourself the opportunity to try something new you might be quite surprised at how much you like it. It's actually been a lot of fun, and I find myself searching the internet looking for food ideas. In fact, I just recently learned about a new grain called freekeh. Now technically I can't even pronounce it, but I can't wait to give it a try.