In my last post, I told that I had been asked to sit on the PIPP steering committee. Today was our first meeting and I am SO GLAD I went. I believe the four of us there who are PIPP coordinators opened more eyes to what we have going on than any of them ever realized. I honestly feel like we have made change for the better today (okay, so now, if you are a WICKED fan, you are hearing the song FOR GOOD, going through your mind, anyway, I am).
We go back Tuesday morning and I am looking forward to seeing what happens since the suggestions made today have had time to digest.
Also going on today, 21 years ago today, I had the day off, I got up at 8:00, gave myself a facial, plucked my brows, deep conditioned my hair, gave myself a mani and a pedi and virtually spent all day getting ready for what was 21 years ago tonight...my first date with "Drew" as I called him then.
To top it off HE posted YESTERDAY on facebook that today was our 21st anniversary of our first date.....no, I didn't tell him and yes, him remembering things like that is just another one of the million reasons that he is perfect for me.
I should write more but gonna unwind a bit and go to bed.
Happy Thursday!
Thursday, October 25, 2012
Saturday, October 20, 2012
The Big Sigh.
What a week! Seems like it has been more of a roller coaster than normal. Of course, Monday was weight watchers night and I was down a lb. I had struggled and so I was really happy. I have struggled even more this week so I am not expecting anything. I have went 12 weeks though and lost every week so I really don't have any reason to be upset if things don't go my way this week. I am kinda considering this a "regrouping" week. I have not been as faithful to exercise these last two weeks plus I had to up the prednisone, that combination and losing weight just isn't the best. Gonna try to go back down to the 5mg this week though and make a new commitment to working out again.
Tuesday Andrew and I took in the Covered Bridge Festival. Some of my friends had said it wasn't as great this year and I have to agree. I went looking for braided rugs, a dark colored afghan and bath salts. I came home with scarves, coffee, tea, a Christmas ornament and a calendar. The best part is I came home with money, always like when that happens but wish I would have found what I was looking for. On top of everything else, I guess Robert got home from school at 10:00 that morning, if he would have known, he would have just went with us.
Wednesday was AWANA, I am hoping this coming week to have our other boy back with us ats football got over last night. We had a guest speaker, this lady from Effingham who acts out Bible characters. She is fabulous, wish I could remember her name but she did Merriam, Moses' sister and it was very good, the kids were absolutely captivated. I have to tell you, this year, I am taking 3 little girls to AWANA. For the past 20 years I have taken a van-load of kids but 90% of the time, it has been a van-load of boys. It is a totally different atmosphere taking girls. The age the girls are now are the age the boys would have farting contest to see who could make me roll down the window the fastest. The girls bicker (they are all sisters) but most of their time is consumed with singing at the top of their lungs. Robert had made them a CD and the one they sing the loudest is "I'll Fly Away", kinda cool because I sing right along with them.
Thursday was a red-letter day for me. After about 2 months working for ERBA, I realized I wanted to do more than fill out the applications, I wanted to help be a voice for our clients when it came to how to administer these programs. I have worked in various capacities that have had an impact on the programs but Thursday afternoon, Maria, from DCEO called with an invitation to be on the PIPP steering committee. I am very honored to have the opportunity. This means that I will have a voice in how we do what we do with the PIPP program. To top it off, my friend Kathy, from our sister agency, CEFS, was asked also, which means I have someone to make the trips to Springfield with. In fact, there were three LAA's asked to newly participate in the steering committee. The other one was Community Contacts, whose coordinator is Nancy Kane-Richards, we call each other sisters from another mister, so I have very good company. Next Thursday, we will meet in Springfield, I am looking very forward to it.
Yesterday we had FCD recertification training. FCD is Family and Community Development. Our FCD training is to help us learn how to give a hand up, not a hand out; how to integrate our clients with their community and give them a sense of belonging and accomplishment as they pull themselves out of poverty. It was a good day spent with a lot of co-workers. I feel like I always grow when I come out of an FCD training. I have homework to do before I receive my recertification and I should have just done it this weekend but with the week I have had, I decided not to. I brought home the work that needed caught up because I missed Tuesday and that is probably enough. Of course this coming week I will try to get everything I can finished before Thursday and I believe we have another meeting the next week so everything should keep me on my toes.
So, now you understand the big sigh. Newton's Band Classic is this morning and I am going with my mom. Part of me really just wanted to stay in bed but I really do want to see the bands, and in a way it will be relaxing.
Happy Saturday everyone!
Tuesday Andrew and I took in the Covered Bridge Festival. Some of my friends had said it wasn't as great this year and I have to agree. I went looking for braided rugs, a dark colored afghan and bath salts. I came home with scarves, coffee, tea, a Christmas ornament and a calendar. The best part is I came home with money, always like when that happens but wish I would have found what I was looking for. On top of everything else, I guess Robert got home from school at 10:00 that morning, if he would have known, he would have just went with us.
Wednesday was AWANA, I am hoping this coming week to have our other boy back with us ats football got over last night. We had a guest speaker, this lady from Effingham who acts out Bible characters. She is fabulous, wish I could remember her name but she did Merriam, Moses' sister and it was very good, the kids were absolutely captivated. I have to tell you, this year, I am taking 3 little girls to AWANA. For the past 20 years I have taken a van-load of kids but 90% of the time, it has been a van-load of boys. It is a totally different atmosphere taking girls. The age the girls are now are the age the boys would have farting contest to see who could make me roll down the window the fastest. The girls bicker (they are all sisters) but most of their time is consumed with singing at the top of their lungs. Robert had made them a CD and the one they sing the loudest is "I'll Fly Away", kinda cool because I sing right along with them.
Thursday was a red-letter day for me. After about 2 months working for ERBA, I realized I wanted to do more than fill out the applications, I wanted to help be a voice for our clients when it came to how to administer these programs. I have worked in various capacities that have had an impact on the programs but Thursday afternoon, Maria, from DCEO called with an invitation to be on the PIPP steering committee. I am very honored to have the opportunity. This means that I will have a voice in how we do what we do with the PIPP program. To top it off, my friend Kathy, from our sister agency, CEFS, was asked also, which means I have someone to make the trips to Springfield with. In fact, there were three LAA's asked to newly participate in the steering committee. The other one was Community Contacts, whose coordinator is Nancy Kane-Richards, we call each other sisters from another mister, so I have very good company. Next Thursday, we will meet in Springfield, I am looking very forward to it.
Yesterday we had FCD recertification training. FCD is Family and Community Development. Our FCD training is to help us learn how to give a hand up, not a hand out; how to integrate our clients with their community and give them a sense of belonging and accomplishment as they pull themselves out of poverty. It was a good day spent with a lot of co-workers. I feel like I always grow when I come out of an FCD training. I have homework to do before I receive my recertification and I should have just done it this weekend but with the week I have had, I decided not to. I brought home the work that needed caught up because I missed Tuesday and that is probably enough. Of course this coming week I will try to get everything I can finished before Thursday and I believe we have another meeting the next week so everything should keep me on my toes.
So, now you understand the big sigh. Newton's Band Classic is this morning and I am going with my mom. Part of me really just wanted to stay in bed but I really do want to see the bands, and in a way it will be relaxing.
Happy Saturday everyone!
Monday, October 8, 2012
My latest reads
I have read a two really great series lately, one of them isn't complete, (anyone who personally knows Lynette Eason--tell her I am ANXIOUSLY awaiting the next book). Somehow, the fact that for a few years of my life, I strongly, strongly debated going back to school for law enforcement triggers me liking Lynette's books. When I caught shoplifters for Walmart, my mentor was ex-military intelligence; had I not started dating Andrew and had the whirlwind courtship and marriage, I may have ended up down that path. Anyway.....
There are unanswered questions and "When A Heart Stops" just came out October 1, I preordered and was thrilled Monday morning when it was on my nook waiting for me :-). But now I have another wait.......
The other series I just finished was also brought on by Lynette Eason, I actually read her book first and then had to go back to the beginning and read all of them, so I read hers twice because I wanted everything to be in context. I would LOVE for this to be a television series, I could see this family having many adventures but you could take the first couple of seasons just getting through the books as is. Wouldn't it be a novel idea to have a television series based on all Christian books.....maybe the Hallmark channel should pick them up. Just a thought.
This is the Fitzgerald Bay series, there are 6 books by 6 different authors, which was different but I always marvel at how people can spin a life out of these characters--something that I have to admit I am jealous of everyone who can do that. I have a good imagination but not good enough to take several lives, make them intertwine and make sense.
I also just found out that one of the other Lynette Eason book I read is also part of a continuity series by Love Inspired-- I read Threat of Exposure, but now need to read all the other in the Texas Rangers series.
The other series I just finished was also brought on by Lynette Eason, I actually read her book first and then had to go back to the beginning and read all of them, so I read hers twice because I wanted everything to be in context. I would LOVE for this to be a television series, I could see this family having many adventures but you could take the first couple of seasons just getting through the books as is. Wouldn't it be a novel idea to have a television series based on all Christian books.....maybe the Hallmark channel should pick them up. Just a thought.
This is the Fitzgerald Bay series, there are 6 books by 6 different authors, which was different but I always marvel at how people can spin a life out of these characters--something that I have to admit I am jealous of everyone who can do that. I have a good imagination but not good enough to take several lives, make them intertwine and make sense.
I also just found out that one of the other Lynette Eason book I read is also part of a continuity series by Love Inspired-- I read Threat of Exposure, but now need to read all the other in the Texas Rangers series.
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
I made it to 20!
Usually whatever I weigh on Monday morning with my clothes on is exactly what I weigh on Monday night at weigh-in. I was a little upset this morning when I got on the scales and it was giving me a 2.4 lb weight loss. I needed 2.6 to hit my goal of 20 lbs. I have learned a lot from my past mistakes with weight watchers and I spent the day telling myself a 2.4 lb weight loss was nothing to sneeze at.
When I got to work, we were celebrating a birthday. My first instinct was, "I have to weigh tonight, so I am going to avoid the whole thing", then I thought, no, this is life, deal with it. Luckily someone had brought pineapple, grapes and orange slices and somebody else brought raspberries. I filled my plate with fruit, and stood and ate with everyone else--you can have all the fruit you want on WW with zero points plus values. At lunch, I ate my sandwich, my two cheese sticks and my banana. In the old days, I would have starved myself on weigh-in day knowing how close I was to my goal. I have found out though that starving myself just leads to a binge which leads to a setback and .2 lbs was not worth it. If I did normal stuff today, I will still do normal stuff tomorrow and the .2 will be gone along with some more next week.
When I got to my weigh-in, I told Janet, my "weigher", that even if it flashed blank.blank pounds for a second, I wanted it. Janet is older and has a very dry sense of humor. She said, "It's not flashing, it's just sitting there.". Which meant I DID IT!!!!!
I bought a new outfit Saturday evening because it was a size smaller. I went from a 22 to a 20. First of many to come. A friend of mine has lost a lot of weight and cleaned out her closet, she gave me a bunch of her 20's, 18's and 16's. I have worn two of her size 20 dresses to church. I have several more I can fit into. I went on a mini shopping spree in my attic Sunday morning and came down with more size 20 stuff. It is official, I wear a 20. I am hoping to wear an 18 by Christmas.
If you read the beginning of this journey, my goal, first BIG goal anyway is to be out of plus sized clothes so I can buy myself a convertible. I am very close to hitting my 10% though and at that point I will have to pick my ultimate goal. I think it will be 125 lbs. I don't remember ever weighing 125. I weighed 135 in jr. high and 150 in high school. When I got married I weighted 145. I have so many goals now though that I can hit. another 14.4 and I will be what I weighed when I started working at Greenup, add another 25 to that and you see what I weighed when I started working for ERBA. Take 16 lbs off that and it is what I weighed the day I came home from the hospital from having Robert and the list goes on.
So, now, I know I have over 100 lbs left to lose so I am far from being able to really give anyone advice but let me tell you about my experience with Weight Watchers. First off, I went out to eat last week, several times. Saturday I went out twice, to the bowling alley for lunch and to Cracker Barrel for supper. It was a successful day because first off, I planned, second, I figured out the things I wanted and the things I could do with out. I wanted Chicken livers at dinner. I love chicken livers so I figured the points on those, which is figured at a cup of fried ones. Then I decided I could have a baked potato and carrots. When she asked about bread I said I would just prefer her not bring me any. My mom is diabetic and doesn't do bread well either so she got chicken and rice and asked for no bread either. When my food came I made a fist and figured out how many of the livers I could have, (a fist is about the same size as a cup), I sat two big livers aside. I took the butter off my potato because a little had melted on it and put about a third of my sour cream on it. I ate all my carrots first (zero points), I ate about half of my potato and all but two of my livers. I asked for a doggy bag and truly brought the liver and the potato home to the girls. They got to eat Cracker Barrel that night too. The coolest thing is I had traveled on Thursday and Friday, so I ate out then too. It is all about choices. I have always loved Arby's chicken cordon bleu sandwich. Friday I found out I loved the roasted version even more. I love the potato bites but decided they weren't worth starving over. One of these days, I will just order the potato bites for lunch. So. along the way I am learning, learning a new lifestyle, one that is doable for the rest of my life.
So, onward to the next goals, I signed up for the 8 weeks to Thanksgiving challenge and have committed to 2lbs a week so normally my goal is 5 lbs in the next 3 weeks, but this time it is 6 lbs in the next three weeks. When I make goal, I will be down 36 lbs by Thanksgiving. How cool would that be!
Happy Tuesday everyone!
When I got to work, we were celebrating a birthday. My first instinct was, "I have to weigh tonight, so I am going to avoid the whole thing", then I thought, no, this is life, deal with it. Luckily someone had brought pineapple, grapes and orange slices and somebody else brought raspberries. I filled my plate with fruit, and stood and ate with everyone else--you can have all the fruit you want on WW with zero points plus values. At lunch, I ate my sandwich, my two cheese sticks and my banana. In the old days, I would have starved myself on weigh-in day knowing how close I was to my goal. I have found out though that starving myself just leads to a binge which leads to a setback and .2 lbs was not worth it. If I did normal stuff today, I will still do normal stuff tomorrow and the .2 will be gone along with some more next week.
When I got to my weigh-in, I told Janet, my "weigher", that even if it flashed blank.blank pounds for a second, I wanted it. Janet is older and has a very dry sense of humor. She said, "It's not flashing, it's just sitting there.". Which meant I DID IT!!!!!
I bought a new outfit Saturday evening because it was a size smaller. I went from a 22 to a 20. First of many to come. A friend of mine has lost a lot of weight and cleaned out her closet, she gave me a bunch of her 20's, 18's and 16's. I have worn two of her size 20 dresses to church. I have several more I can fit into. I went on a mini shopping spree in my attic Sunday morning and came down with more size 20 stuff. It is official, I wear a 20. I am hoping to wear an 18 by Christmas.
If you read the beginning of this journey, my goal, first BIG goal anyway is to be out of plus sized clothes so I can buy myself a convertible. I am very close to hitting my 10% though and at that point I will have to pick my ultimate goal. I think it will be 125 lbs. I don't remember ever weighing 125. I weighed 135 in jr. high and 150 in high school. When I got married I weighted 145. I have so many goals now though that I can hit. another 14.4 and I will be what I weighed when I started working at Greenup, add another 25 to that and you see what I weighed when I started working for ERBA. Take 16 lbs off that and it is what I weighed the day I came home from the hospital from having Robert and the list goes on.
So, now, I know I have over 100 lbs left to lose so I am far from being able to really give anyone advice but let me tell you about my experience with Weight Watchers. First off, I went out to eat last week, several times. Saturday I went out twice, to the bowling alley for lunch and to Cracker Barrel for supper. It was a successful day because first off, I planned, second, I figured out the things I wanted and the things I could do with out. I wanted Chicken livers at dinner. I love chicken livers so I figured the points on those, which is figured at a cup of fried ones. Then I decided I could have a baked potato and carrots. When she asked about bread I said I would just prefer her not bring me any. My mom is diabetic and doesn't do bread well either so she got chicken and rice and asked for no bread either. When my food came I made a fist and figured out how many of the livers I could have, (a fist is about the same size as a cup), I sat two big livers aside. I took the butter off my potato because a little had melted on it and put about a third of my sour cream on it. I ate all my carrots first (zero points), I ate about half of my potato and all but two of my livers. I asked for a doggy bag and truly brought the liver and the potato home to the girls. They got to eat Cracker Barrel that night too. The coolest thing is I had traveled on Thursday and Friday, so I ate out then too. It is all about choices. I have always loved Arby's chicken cordon bleu sandwich. Friday I found out I loved the roasted version even more. I love the potato bites but decided they weren't worth starving over. One of these days, I will just order the potato bites for lunch. So. along the way I am learning, learning a new lifestyle, one that is doable for the rest of my life.
So, onward to the next goals, I signed up for the 8 weeks to Thanksgiving challenge and have committed to 2lbs a week so normally my goal is 5 lbs in the next 3 weeks, but this time it is 6 lbs in the next three weeks. When I make goal, I will be down 36 lbs by Thanksgiving. How cool would that be!
Happy Tuesday everyone!
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