I'm back...

Hi everyone! It’s been a while since I’ve been on SparkPeople (other than to sync with my fitbit). I have to say how good it feels to be here, and I hope to connect with my SparkFriends again. I’ve missed you all!

I can’t explain exactly why I disappeared, other than my head got into a rather strange place for a time. Part of it was the months that I spent fruitlessly looking for a house and beginning to wonder if my 25+ year-old plan for my retirement was going to work at all. I completely went off the rails, food and exercise-wise, and went into avoidance mode when it came to healthy habits like SparkPeople. Over the holidays, I vowed to take back control over my behavior and start over again. The number on the scale last week was shocking but not really a surprise. Time to get cracking!

Two big events happened in my life over the past several months. The good one is that I finally found a house that I love. I moved in in October. It’s not in Flagstaff, but in a small town about 30 miles away. It’s in a beautiful location with mountain views and lots of wildlife.

The sad event was that Tigger became ill at the end of summer and I finally had to put her to sleep the day before Thanksgiving. She was diagnosed with kidney disease and (likely) cancer. I tried various meds, and injecting her with twice weekly subcutaneous fluids, but eventually had to accept the inevitable. Bear and I really miss her but are now discussing the possibility of finding him a new little friend. He’s never been an “only cat,” and there are so many rescue animals out there in need of a good home.

I can’t wait to catch up with you all. Hope you all had a wonderful holiday and are looking forward a happy AND healthy new year!

My new house
Mountain view from my side yard