Long Time Coming

Quit smoking. Had open heart surgery. Had gall bladder surgery. Had cancer surgery. Had chemo. All of this within five years. Now just quitting cigarettes is a sure way to gain some weight. Couple that with the weeks of recuperation following surgeries when there is nothing to do but watch TV and eat. A sure bet that the pounds are going to pile on. But sooner or later it becomes necessary to face the fact that there is nothing to wear and if you don't go buy some clothes, you can't leave the house. But if you go buy the clothes, you're admitting that you've made peace with your girth and that is the biggest defeat of all.

There is no lack of ways to lose weight if you can commit to one of them. You can pay for Weight Watchers. You can buy Nutrisystem meal delivery. Have you called Jenny? Atkins, South Beach, The Zone. The hot dog diet, the cabbage soup diet, the grapefruit diet. And here comes this French guy with his book that promises to help you drop the unwanted pounds if you'll stay with him. The Dukan Diet, unabashedly named for the doctor who devised the plan, and who promises that if you do as he says, you won't gain back what you lose. And he takes great pains to explain what you need to do to, and why you need to do it, based on the body's memory of how it feels to have full fat cells.

So after investigating what people were saying, I bought the book. I bought the Oat Bran and the Greek Yogurt. I devoured the book and believed most of what it contained. He's very convincing, this Dr. Dukan. I started the diet on the 15th of May, and I'm now 10 days in, six pounds down, and in the second phase. There isn't much more to say except I have no problem feeling full with the amount of food I'm allowed to have.

Yes, I miss chocolate. And cookies and milk. And grilled cheese sandwiches. And according to the book, (and my motivation) I'll once again be able to indulge, within reason, in all my former delights, while weighing considerably less than I do now. Oh, yes, I won't be able to indulge on Thursday(s) for the rest of my life. Because once I'm free of the fat and stable in my new found body, I will have to observe Protein Only Thursday forever. The doctor said.

Stay tuned for further developments.

Somebody Got it Right

From time to time, we read about a new product that promises to be better than anything you've used in the past. We see commercials on TV for new products all the time. That doesn't mean the product(s) will be available in your area when the ad appears. Or here comes your Sunday paper with all those wonderful coupon supplements enclosed offering cents-off on a new product and after cutting them out and heading for the market, they aren't carrying the product yet. Very frustrating when the product seems like something you'd use. By the time the product arrives in the market, the coupon has expired. Don't we all hesitate to take a chance on an untried product without a price reduction?

Recently, there appeared a coupon for a new quick-cooking pasta. Now, pasta is not exactly an all day project to cook, but when a product is offering to cut the cooking time in half, my ears perk up. So I cut out the coupon and took it with me on my next shopping trip. Lo and behold, there it was, on the shelf, the new product for which I had a generous coupon, which the cashier doubled.

Last night, I tried it out. Put hot water from the tap into the pot. When it came to a boil, which took no time since it started from hot, I put in the pasta. I set the timer for three and a half minutes. Took out the garbage, washed up a few dishes, and the timer went off. Strained the perfectly al dente pasta, and enjoyed my dinner. Lightning fast and good tasting. So I am happy to continue to purchase the new product, even at full price, since it is as advertised. If only all of life went as promised.

Mother's Day

Mother's Day. What a laugh. The hand that rocks the cradle gets a day in her honor. While pickles, yes, pickles, get a whole week! Something wrong about this if you ask me. So far, no one has. Asked me, that is.

Yesterday, Son 4 visited with his offspring. (He intimated that he'd be back today but hasn't made it thus far)

Today, Son 2 and his daughter, Son 3 sans wife and kids (long story), and Son 5, wife and their two girls paid a visit. Cards and flowers presented.

Son 3 became a grandfather two weeks ago and his wife is in Arizona with their eldest child who is the grandbaby's mother. (He was out there for a few days but had to return home for business reasons)

So to anyone out there who has nothing better to do that you're reading this, Happy Mother's Day. And to all you pickles, well...you know...

Cinco de Oh My O

The sun is in and out and the wind blows. Lots of big white (sometimes gray) clouds making it feel more like a late September day than an early May day. We've had enough rain to float an ark, if there was anyone who knew how to build one. (WTH is a cubit, anyway?)

I'm contemplating a diet (read "lifestyle change") that will, if I read it correctly, lose me the 27 pounds of lard that I'm hauling around. Now this particular regimen calls for 20 minutes of walking daily. That may be the stumbling, or even falling down, block for me at the outset. I have difficulty walking for the 20 or so seconds that it takes me to walk from the sofa to the fridge. That doesn't stop me, which is why I need to lose that 27 pounds. Or just under two stone if you follow the British table of weights and measures. I'll let you know how it plays out.

I had a visit last Saturday from my eldest and his lovely wife and their two astounding daughters. Both teenagers in years, but certainly unlike the typical teen of today. Not a "like" or a "you know" to make me grind my teeth. They play music, they spell, they write for the school newspaper, they ring the bells in church and they earn High Honors in the report card department. Too good to be true, right? They go to a restaurant and sit gracefully, order anything but burger 'n fries, and have intelligent discussions about current events. And they're mine.

Speaking of, being mine, that is, in March I gained another granddaughter. The 11th. grandchild is thriving. Only seven weeks later, I became a Great Grandmother for the first time. Right now, the little girl is in the NICU with some respiratory distress, but nothing with long-lasting effects, or so we are being told. Or so we (meaning me) are not being told. The Mother of this little one has no problem imparting health updates on Twitter or on the internet in a publicly-published blog, which I have been reading since she was a junior at University but she doesn't know it. I think it would be a good thing to be in on the developments without having to find out through subterfuge. I'm asking here for a vote. Do you think, after eight years, I should openly declare that I am present among the other readers of the often-too-revealing blog?

Back to Osama. The president of the USA has decided not to release the death photos of the bullet-riddled body of Bin Laden. That's one decision of his I can live with. But the blood-thirsty among us are raging to see the pictures. And the media clamoring for their release will sue to gain access to the gore. OMG, what have we become?

Lest We Forget

Yesterday, the news coverage was all of the killing of Osama Bin Laden. Today, it seems to be all about the information that led to the finding and killing of Osama Bin Laden. The celebrations taking place at Ground Zero, Shanksville, PA and the Pentagon are, in a way, a sad commentary on our collective psyche. What have we become to "celebrate" the death of any man?

Despite the fact that this man was the mastermind of the dastardly attack on our soil and our citizens, his death does nothing to ease the grief felt by those who no longer have their loved ones. His death does nothing to bring about closure. As if anything could. His death doesn't begin to explain the reason he plotted against this nation. Islamic Jihad doesn't seem to hold in this case, since there are many other nations that don't practice Islam as a national religion so why weren't targeted as well?

Before you mistake this as sympathy for Bin Laden, rest assured that I hold no respect for the deceased. He was a coward of the ultimate order. He encouraged his fanatical followers to carry out the suicide missions that caused the loss of our citizens. He didn't join in the mission himself. COWARD! He cowered in the shadows for close to ten years, hiding from what certainly would be retribution. COWARD! He didn't stand up for his beliefs but instead chose to hide his face, not only from his enemies but also from those he purported to lead. These are the acts of a coward.

Am I glad he's no longer able to encourage further deadly acts? Certainly I am. But still knowing that there will always be a despot to take his place, I am sad. It isn't as if killing Bin Laden will make the country whole again.

So in the wake of this news, forgive me if I'm unable to feel joy. The celebrations that took place are those we usually hold when The USA wins gold at the Olympics. Celebrations should be reserved for winning, not for killing. Since I'm certain that Bin Laden and his followers held the self-same celebrations when notified that the missions of 9-11 were complete, I feel shame that we take the same pleasure at his death and fear that it makes us no better than they.

For anyone who reads this and doesn't get (or doesn't want to) the context, you can save your bombastic condemnation of this writer. I can't help how I feel, anymore than you can.

Now excuse me while I spend a few moments in quiet reflection on our own lost martyrs.

New News

Despite promises to do better, and failing to do so, and apologizing for same, it seems I haven't improved. Soooo, see preceding sentence. Rinse and repeat.
For your enlightenment and edification, much has happened that you don't know about. Yet. For openers, I have a new grandchild. That would be Number 11. A lovely little girl. The F's outnumber the M's in Grandchild Land. At least in this family. Funny, since all of my personal output is M. Out of the 11 Grands, only three are of the M variety. But this newest one is cute and I think we'll keep her. She was baptized on Easter Sunday and I guess that makes her official.

Now lest you think that I have no other new news, I've got news for you! You betcha I do! On Friday, I was informed that I now have my first Great Grandchild. Yes, you read that right. I, so young, am a Great Granny. The child of my eldest granddaughter. Also a girl. Also cute. She gave her Mom a rough couple of months by threatening the very body struggling to produce her. Granddaughter was on bed rest for a couple of months for very serious health reasons, attributable in full to the Fruit of the Womb. But now it's over and all are doing well.

Oh, yes, we also went to the circus. We do so every year and the two little girls, ages nine and five, look forward to it with great anticipation. The older of the two is enthralled by every aspect - from the clown who entertains during the set-up and the take-down between acts to the wire walkers to the animals and the motorcyclists in the Cage of Death. The younger sits quietly and waits for the cotton candy vendor. Once she has that in her hands, (and her face and her hair and her clothes) she is content.

And I had an Oncologist appointment last week and all seems to be well in that department. He gave me the go-ahead to buy green bananas so I must be okay.

Stay tuned - you never know when something new will happen.