MNTWINSGAL's SparkPeople Blog

The Sun is Peeking Through!

Sat, 23 Mar 2013 19:25:52 EST

Warning....this is a long post....partly repetitive, partly autobiographical. It's not really humorous, but it makes me feel good to pour out my heart and my feelings.

It's been a long, cold winter.

I live in Minnesota...the winters are always long. Always cold. But I've always had a lot going on, and when you are busy, you are less likely to pay attention to the long, drawn out season. Last year at this time I was working....on my last few weeks at a job I loved, ...

My husband is a saint....but does this ever happen to you?

Sun, 24 Feb 2013 14:38:33 EST

I wanted to put this out there right off the bat...my husband is a saint.

He has never, EVER said anything negative about my weight, or any of my other shortcomings. He has never made me feel like I was anything less than perfect in his eyes. He has never been caught covertly ogling other, slimmer or more beautiful women -- and I think if that was happening, I'd have busted him at least once in the past 29 years! He never makes comments, or looks disappointed in my appearance, o...

Bringing back an old idea

Tue, 12 Feb 2013 15:48:32 EST

Below is an excerpt from a Facebook post I made earlier today:

I loved my job at Mesaba. There's not a better bunch of stand-up people out there as the group I was proud to call my co-workers. Maybe that's the biggest reason that in the 10+ months since I was laid off there have only been a handful of job opportunities that interested me even a little. Maybe I'm too picky? Or maybe in my heart I know that I wouldn't be happy at most of the companies I have looked at. And all ...

I was going to send you confetti.....

Mon, 7 Jan 2013 13:25:03 EST

Um, Happy New Year?

I'd like to know what happened to the first week of the year....here we are entering the second week, and I haven't even gotten around to wishing my Spark Buddies a Happy 2013 yet! I was going to send you all a goodie a week ago....a handful of confetti and sincere heartfelt wishes for a happy new year. But time got away....and it seems a little lame to do so now. So though I won't be sending the confetti, please be assured that I really was thinking of you a...

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas.....

Mon, 10 Dec 2012 00:59:55 EST

As most of you know, I'm currently laid off from my job. And loving it. And struggling with knowing that I do have to go back to work...eventually...

BUT, there is a definite up-side to all this. For the first time ever, I am not trying to "do it all" and hold down a full time job besides. I can devote my time to "doing it all" and I've been having such fun! I am completely done with my holiday shopping. Every last thing from the gifts themselves to the bows and tags and the ...

Semi-Annual Closet Switcheroo

Sun, 7 Oct 2012 17:59:44 EST

I started October full of motivation and excitement to get "back in the saddle." I've been watching my food intake and eating my rainbow (or at least 5 sixths of it) most days, doing 2-mile daily walks plus a minimum of 10 extra minutes of exercise every day. I looked forward to my Saturday weigh-in in anticipation.

So you've all been there, and you can imagine my disappointment and frustration when I stepped on the scale Saturday morning to discover no loss....not even a plateau...

Pink's a color.....right?

Thu, 27 Sep 2012 00:01:55 EST

As many of you might know, last weekend we hosted a 94th birthday party for my mom at our house. Her health is failing, but more so her mind, and I decided that we needed to celebrate this as a milestone. In my heart, I doubt she'll be with us next year at this time...if she makes it physically, she probably will have mentally succumbed. So we did it, and we did it big. DD Lisa and I pored over recipes online and in books for over a month....perusing Pinterest and taste-testing many diffe...

I want to be overweight!

Thu, 6 Sep 2012 14:12:03 EST

Yes! I do! Really....I want to be Overweight!

Only in a place such as SparkPeople can a person blog such a thing and get nods of approval from her readers. Why do I want to be Overweight? Because I've been Obese for so long now. Obesity. Such an ugly word. Such an ugly concept. So defeatist....as if there's no hope for the person who suffers from it. Like a cross to bear....a "lot" in life....something that makes others look on pityingly, always judging.

I'm tal...

Finding the Silver Lining

Wed, 15 Aug 2012 14:58:14 EST

As I'm fond of saying, blogging can be cathartic. And blog I did. I just wrote out three long paragraphs from the heart. From deep inside my soul. And then......I deleted it. Why? Because just writing it out made me feel so much better. And because I feel like I would be betraying my mom if I put it out there for all to see.

I have always had a wonderful relationship with my mom. And 12 years ago, when she was an 82-year-old widow we worried about her being on her own, and ...

Back to the Blog

Sun, 5 Aug 2012 11:09:18 EST

I used to blog regularly.

It was motivating, it was sometimes cathartic, it always made me feel good. It was for ME, but I also have something of a gift for writing, (though some may disagree....) and somewhere along the way some of my blogs became humorous....something that I didn't write solely for me, although that was still the main intent, but also to entertain my "audience." And when things started getting crazy in my life (my mother becoming more frail and starting to "l...

It's raining, it's pouring!

Sat, 17 Dec 2011 17:45:23 EST

Well, when it rains it pours....last night we had our Christmas party with my side of the family. We rent out the party room of a hotel and have pot luck, games, etc. Lots of fun. John and I drove separately, as he came straight from work. So after the party, about 11:45 pm, I'm cruising down the interstate (at the posted speed limit of 70 mph,) when all of a sudden a deer appeared out of nowhere. It was snowing, and as I swerved to avoid the deer, I completely lost control of my car, d...

Did I Really?

Sat, 5 Nov 2011 20:55:20 EST

A blog about weight loss for a change! It seems that when I take to my keyboard to post a blog, it's usually about something happening in my family life, or my work life, or at any rate,something sort of unrelated to my weight loss journey. (Of course, EVERYTHING we go through in our daily lives is connected to who we are any why we are overweight) But anyway, I don't write about my weight in my blogs very often. Let's face it, I've been on a "plateau" for so long that I could have built ...

Last week at this time.....I was in the Honolulu airport.....

Sat, 8 Oct 2011 22:16:27 EST

Oh my, what an experience!

First, I want to say that I had a wonderful time visiting my son and my new daughter-in-law in Hawaii, where he is stationed as an Aircraft Rescue Firefighter at the Marine Corps base at Kaneohe Bay. They took us all over the island of Oahu, and we saw some amazing scenery and a number of beautiful beaches. We met up with my dear friend and Spark Buddy, Sunny and her husband, who were also visiting their son, who is in the Army, also stationed on Oahu...

A Remembrance Blog, 9/11/11

Sun, 11 Sep 2011 18:42:06 EST

I don't think I've ever gone this long without blogging. There has been a lot going on in my life...and blogging has always been cathartic for me, but for some reason I haven't sat down to do it!

But today, as I reflect on the tragedy of 9/11/01, I think my heart is too full to keep it all in, so I'm taking to my keyboard.

I think we all remember that Tuesday morning, and the moment we heard the news. I work in the airline industry, so the sense of dread was especially...

When it rains, it pours.....and sometimes leaks

Sat, 16 Jul 2011 23:11:51 EST

Whew! It's been quite a weather roller coaster this entire year so far. The latest hairpin turn came in the form of a torrential rainfall yesterday. It rained so hard and so fast that our drain tile wasn't able to handle it, and we had leaking in two areas of our lower level.

A little background....our home is a split level in which the lower level is completely finished except for the laundry room, and there's no basement. The laundry room is the only room with a plain concr...

More Changes Afoot....

Tue, 5 Jul 2011 00:36:24 EST

I have been an emotional basket-case for the past week or so when it comes to my work-life. My job officially ended last Friday, and my department walked out the door one last time. For me there was a reprieve: I was fortunate to move into a position in another department and will stay there until the end of the year, when that group is also eliminated. So I'm a lucky one....in most ways. But my team is gone, and it's going to be devastating to me tomorrow to walk in to all the empty desk...

Good News to Report!

Thu, 16 Jun 2011 22:44:25 EST

Hi Spark Friends,

I just thought I'd post a quick blog to tell you something that has happened to me....I have been telling my various Spark groups and friends about my woes at work....most of you know that my company was bought out last summer by a company out of state, and all of us that work in the Minnesota headquarters are being phased out over a 2-year period. My area, Accounting, was slated as being the first to go, and our group of 15 were all given our end dates a few mo...

Why I need to BE my best

Sat, 4 Jun 2011 12:19:43 EST

And finally.....the reasons why I need to BE my best:

1. All of the reasons mentioned in my previous two blogs, why I need to LOOK my best, and why I need to FEEL my best.

2. For my self-esteem. I can't be the person I want to be if I'm not giving 100% and being the best "me" I can be.

And the best reason of all.....drumroll please.....

3. Because I'm WORTH IT!! Yes, there you have it, short and sweet. Yes, I want to be there for the people I lov...

Why I Need to FEEL My Best

Sat, 28 May 2011 18:05:06 EST

Last week I blogged about the reasons I feel I need to look my best. I thank my friends for all their comments validating my feelings. Looking good is important to me....and right now I don't feel that I look my best. It's all about confidence, happiness, and the way I am perceived by others.

But today I'm blogging about the flip side of that coin.....it has nothing to do with vanity or the psychological stuff that makes me feel good. It's feeling good from a physical standpoin...

Why I Need to LOOK My Best

Sat, 21 May 2011 15:39:05 EST

In any journey to health, every now and then one needs to sit back and reflect a bit....do a little soul searching as to what the reasons are that we are here doing this in the first place. In my quest for answers from within, I have come up with three main focuses. I'm going to split this into three blogs....and here is the first: Why I need to LOOK my best:

Of all the reasons for wanting to lose weight and be healthier, this one is the least important in some ways, but let's b...

To Begin......Again

Sat, 7 May 2011 11:45:50 EST

Today, as they say, I will begin again. I've been back and forth with my friend (the scale) for what seems like forever now! My ticker wasn't right half the time...I would gain a pound or two and keep it in my head....then re-lose it and not acknowledge it, since the ticker was never moved in the first place. I didn't want kudos for losing pounds that I had already been congratulated on and then just re-found. I lost-gained-lost-gained the same 1-5 pounds countless times and ended up right ba...

Dental Work and a Big Fat Excuse

Wed, 4 May 2011 00:21:46 EST

Today I had some dental work done. I am having 2 new crowns made. Today was the day of the major drilling, mold-making, etc.

As I've mentioned in other blogs, my 92 year old mother lives with us. Bless her heart, she means well....but well, she's the one who made me the way I am, with her "food as a reward" mentality. She, of course, never had a serious weight problem, but both my sister and myself have hovered around the 200 pound mark most of our adult lives. Hm.

So...

Ch-ch-changes......

Thu, 7 Apr 2011 19:21:25 EST

Today at work it was surreal. Here's what a typical week would look like for me: Monday, deal with email, voicemail, postal mail, and tons of questions from everybody in the company. Tuesday and Wednesday, code things and send out for approvals, work on my spreadsheets, handle more calls. All this leading up to Thursday: Check Run day. It's busy, busy, busy as we get all the last-minute stuff entered into the system, and then I would cut the checks. Usually around 400 of them, and then ...

A feeling of peace and joy

Tue, 22 Mar 2011 08:45:02 EST

Usually I do my Sparking after work, after dinner, when I sign on and read my emails and comments, update my food and fitness trackers, check up on my buddies and teams, etc....but today I made certain that I was up and ready for work early enough that I could write this blog before I left. It's a special day - my only son is getting married today!

Both my daughter and I work for a small regional airline. My family are no strangers to flying "non-rev" or as non-airline folks call...

Fat Tuesday

Tue, 8 Mar 2011 21:06:29 EST

It's Fat Tuesday.....I took it literally :o(

I did pretty well most of the day with the food, but then to get the kitchen ready for Lent I thought I'd serve leftovers for dinner and get rid of a lot of stuff that needs to get eaten or tossed. So I put out a burrito mixture I had made over the weekend and tortillas, plus the accompaniments such as sour cream, shredded cheese, etc. And there was some leftover chili too, so I warmed that up as a addition to the burritos too. Be...

Garden of Living

Sat, 12 Feb 2011 21:45:40 EST

Someone forwarded the following to me. I don't know who wrote it, so hopefully I'm not breaking any copyright laws. It was just too good not to share. Great words to live by:

Garden of Living

FOR THE GARDEN OF YOUR DAILY LIVING,

PLANT THREE ROWS OF PEAS :
1. Peace of mind
2. Peace of heart
3. Peace of soul

PLANT FOUR ROWS OF SQUASH:
1. Squash gossip
2. Squash indifference
3. Squash grumbling
4. Squash s...

The Jeans

Sun, 16 Jan 2011 14:42:24 EST

Every so often, my dryer has a mind of it's own. I mean, it'll take my husband's clothes - only his, mind you - and get it in it's mind that it's going to shrink them! Yes, you heard me right. Clothes (and especially pants) that he's had forever, and that have been washed dozens, maybe hundreds of times will suddenly be too tight on him! It has to be the dryer, or so he tells me. Um, Yeah. Right.

Well this has been going on for years, and usually eventually the pants seem to ...

The Land of the Living

Sat, 8 Jan 2011 16:34:07 EST

Yep - I'm back. The first week of the new year was kind of a blur....I was fighting some bug and it really had me down for the count. The bad thing is that my energy was zapped and I had NO desire to exercise. It was a workout just to get my butt to work and get done what I had to do. The good thing is that food was tasteless and really held no appeal for me. So no additional weight was gained. (Whew!)

I'm always an emotional person....and then between being sick, and my son ...

"I'll start tomorrow"

Sun, 2 Jan 2011 10:48:03 EST

I'll start tomorrow. Are those famous words or what? But this time they make sense....because in my world anyway, weekends are a terrible time to try to start a new program. Weekends are more laid-back, and I need the structure of the normal day - not a weekend, and especially not a post-holiday weekend - to settle in. But I'm preparing......

Monday I'm taking all my leftover treats (and there is a substantial amount) to work and letting my co-workers have at it. But today I'm...

A great day for walkin' the dog

Sat, 6 Nov 2010 16:04:11 EST

Today I went to the Arboretum, which is one of my favorite places to be. It's so beautiful there, whatever the season. Today was special, too. Normally there are no dogs allowed. But today for the first time they sponsored a dog walk along the 3-mile drive. It was awesome! Only responsible pet owners showed up, and all the dogs were well-behaved. Even Cassie! Lisa had signed her up--I didn't know how she'd do, but she was fine. They gave out goodie bags full of dog treats, cleanup ba...

Nice Scale....Bless it's Steely Heart

Sat, 23 Oct 2010 16:38:29 EST

Here I am on weigh-in day, mad at myself over what could have been. I have plateaued again....no weight loss. But.....

Being on a plateau is no reason to be mad at yourself--unless you know deep down that it is truly your own fault. And this, my friends, is the case with today's weigh-in. For you see, I have NOT been a good sparker. Not this week, and not last either. Oh sure, I'm showing up every day....spinning the wheel, earning my points, chatting with my Spark Buddies an...

10/10/10....Remember it!

Sun, 10 Oct 2010 11:25:47 EST

When I was working my way through college in the late '70's I remember one summer day one of the older ladies at work (she was in her 30's!) noted that the date was 7/7/77 and we should remember where we were on that historic day. She could remember where she was on 6/6/66. So of course, after she said that, I will ALWAYS remember where I was 7/7/77. I was at my job as a drugstore checker, talking to an older co-worker. I remember what I was wearing, etc. And I promised myself I'd check ...

Saga of the missing hat....The Conclusion

Sat, 2 Oct 2010 17:47:53 EST

You may remember the angst I suffered over the loss of my son's uniform hat when he was reporting to Camp Pendleton in mid-August. It was awful....he misplaced the darn thing and needed it, since he was traveling in his Marine uniform. After much lost sleep, we finally gave up the search and he wore his other style hat. It made me crazy for some time, as I turned it over and over in my head. Where could that hat be? (By the way, I've been informed that it's NOT a hat, but a COVER. Sorry...

Finally back on track

Sat, 25 Sep 2010 14:19:31 EST

Happy Saturday, everybody!

Yes, it really is a happy day....finally I've jump-started my plan and gotten back on track.

Of course, my primary reason for joining SP was to lose weight and gain some healthy habits. What actually happened was very little in the way of weight loss, although I did learn a lot of healthy habits. It's just that I didn't really apply those habits to my real life. I had originally lost just short of 25 pounds....well on the road to fat-freed...

Time to get honest.....

Sat, 18 Sep 2010 17:58:30 EST

Much as I hate, hate, hate having to do this, I made my ticker honest today.

It's been several months since I've lost any weight to speak of. That's bad, but could have been worse. At least I was maintaining...not making progress, but not going backwards either. Then...slowly....I would take a tiny step backward. I chose not to update the ticker, telling myself instead that I could make up for it, since it was such a small step. But as always happens, those tiny backwards s...

The Missing Hat

Sun, 29 Aug 2010 12:25:20 EST

Sooooo, I had a really funny story about a missing hat, and I wanted to blog about it while it was still fresh in my mind. It's been close to two weeks now, and I don't know if this is age starting to creep up on my memory or what....but I no longer remember what was so darn funny about that! So for those of you that were wondering, here's what happened--no embellishments to bring out the humor of the situation, because I've lost them....but anyway.....

The night before Jeff left...

It's been a whirlwind!

Sat, 21 Aug 2010 11:35:38 EST

I haven't blogged for about a month! That's really odd for me because I usually aim for blogging weekly. And it's not because I had nothing to say....on the contrary, I feel like I've been through a whirlwind!

My family, along with Jeff's GF, went to San Diego two weeks ago to witness Jeff's Boot Camp graduation. What an awe-inspiring experience! I wouldn't have missed it for the world! I'm looking at the photos and planning how I'll scrapbook them....smiling all the time. Th...

A mom will go to great lengths....

Wed, 21 Jul 2010 23:31:40 EST

I have a story to relate. It's true, and has a happy ending!

In the latest letter from Boot Camp from my son Jeff he mentioned that the upcoming week (now) was when the recruits would firm up their travel plans for their trip home after graduation. He said there was a chance (no promises) that he might get a phone call home at that time. He said sometimes they let them make that call to make sure everybody is coordinated with flights, etc. When I read that, I was ecstatic! We...

Addicted to the scale

Sat, 10 Jul 2010 15:27:01 EST

I'm usually addicted to the scale. When I'm being good, that is. I just can't keep myself from taking a peek every day. I know I shouldn't....nobody loses weight EVERY day, so obviously some days bring disappointment. But that's ok...it works for me. But lately, I have NOT been good. I make lots of resolutions, set lots of attainable goals, all that.....but for some reason, my heart just hasn't been in it! You all know what I mean...."do you want the fries or the fresh fruit with that?...

Food Hangover

Mon, 5 Jul 2010 20:06:03 EST

I feel rotten. I've felt under the weather for awhile, and today I just feel yucky. I have a food hangover.

I did something to my neck about a week ago and it's been so sore I can't sleep well at night....leading me to tired days, and of course, over-eating. Not to mention the old "I have a pain in my neck" exercise excuse. So as a result of all that, I've been experiencing acid reflux in the night several nights this week. This is something I used to suffer with often, but th...

Sparkversary Reflections

Tue, 8 Jun 2010 22:24:05 EST

Well, my last several blogs have been about my son joining the Marines, and all the separation anxiety I was facing as he prepared to leave, and then did leave, for boot camp. Hard to believe it, but today marks the beginning of week 5 for him! Wow!

But somewhere along the line, I quit making my journey to health a priority. I got wrapped up in everything else, and before I knew it, I wa filling my face (and my belly) with all sorts of things I knew I shouldn't have. Lots of su...

Writing, writing, writing

Sun, 23 May 2010 12:40:22 EST

I want to thank all of you who read my last blog and commented or left messages for me. I really poured my heart out to you all and you responded with so much compassion and empathy, it really touched my soul to know that so many cared.

I did get my form letter this past Thursday. It was exactly 10 days, just as Donna had suggested. It was the same info from the phone call--"I have arrived safely" etc, and also included a list of things we can't send. At this point, that list i...

Missing the call and waiting for my new pen-pal

Fri, 14 May 2010 21:13:39 EST

Last Sunday night we left Jeff at the hotel where all the young recruits for all branches of the military in our area go the night before they leave for boot camp. There were only a handful of them there, maybe a dozen or so, and most of them were alone. it was just so sad. It was a nice hotel, with a nice lounge dedicated to "MEPS" (Don't ask me what that stands for....I work in the airline industry and we often say that the only group of people who use more acronyms than us is the milita...

What is this feeling I'm feeling?

Sat, 8 May 2010 20:20:32 EST

I'm having a bad day. Thoughts are churning around in my head....I can't (nor do I want to) focus. Tomorrow I will say good bye to my son for the next 13 weeks. Those of you who know me know that he is a recruit of the United States Marine Corps, and tomorrow is the first day of the rest of his life. He's my youngest....I'm just having a really hard time today.

I'm Proud: My family has a strong military background, and I am one of the most patriotic people you might ever meet....

Quite a Day!

Mon, 26 Apr 2010 22:53:32 EST

Well, it was quite a day today. Not in a Sparky kind of way, but just in general.

Today I had my surgery that helped me bid farewell to the kidney stone that has been plaguing me for a month now. I had the stent removed, (no more discomfort "down under!") and the stone was pulverized and has been working it's way out in painless sand particles. In addition my doctor used a special scope with which to take pictures of the kidney and ureter, and he feels that I won't need to com...

E Coli

Wed, 14 Apr 2010 23:40:55 EST

Hi everybody....sorry if this is too much info, but many, many Spark Friends have been concerned about my health and well-being after my recent bout with a kidney stone, so I thought I'd give you a quick update.

I went into the hospital last week to have a stent surgically inserted to help me to pass an extremely stuck kidney stone. I had put off seeing my Urologist for a few days longer than I should have, and by the time I went, I was in terrible shape. I was spiking really hig...

Trying to re-join the land of the living

Fri, 9 Apr 2010 10:30:13 EST

Whew!

It's been a crazy couple of weeks! I am starting to feel more like myself again after being down for the count for the past 10 days. I am one of those "lucky" people prone to kidney stones. It's a pain--both literally and figuratively, but I can usually tough it out, pass the darn stone, and move on with my life. Then every now and then one comes along that knocks me right on my a$$, and that's what happened this time.

I admit, I have a few workaholic tendenc...

Really feeling crappy

Fri, 2 Apr 2010 21:26:55 EST

It's been such a hard week for me. I've had a kidney stone since Wednesday morning. At first I thought it was just going to be the typical stone that I flush out with tons of water and cranberry juice. But by mid-afternoon it became clear that this was a really bad one. On 3 other occasions in my lifetime I've had this type that gets "stuck" and I end up with lithotrypsy to pulverize it and make it easier to pass. I absolutely HATE that procedure. It requires general anesthesia, which a...

Is it the chicken or the egg?

Sat, 27 Mar 2010 12:16:14 EST

I had another bad week. I'll just put that out there first.

I haven't been very active on SP lately, and I'm not sure whether it's because I have been bad, or if I'm being bad because I'm not being very active on SP. It's the classic "which came first...the chicken or the egg?" conundrum.

Sure, I've been logging in every day, and I've been logging my food....sometimes. I always log my water, because that's an easy one for me. I drink a TON of water every day. I don'...

A brownie sundae. Are you kidding me?

Sun, 21 Mar 2010 16:15:32 EST

It's been a rough food week. I was over on my calories most days this past week. Not terribly over, as in falling off the wagon, into the ditch, washed away by the flood waters, never to catch up to it again over....just a little over, like 200 or so calories per day. And one bad day about 700 over. I've been ok with the other nutritional nmbers I track: carbs, fat, fiber, and protein. Exercise has been better than my fitness tracker would have you believe, but I just sort of got into th...