Doreen's Fresh Start & Success Story! (Welcome Friends!)

[Strings]

Hi Doe,

Your day off sounds like it was perfect. The Haunting sounds like fun. I know that you will miss Erin. Perhaps you can wear your princess hat on Saturday in honor of her.

Take care,
Beth

 

[DoeWDW]

Let's get this Friday party started!!

Last evening was DD's final tennis match. She and her partner won their match during the tie-breaker. The team as a whole won. The school bus entered the parking lot with all the girls singing and cheering - sure made me smile!

DS had to go to band rehearsal so I ventured to Hershey Gardens alone. I'm patting myself on the back for being brave and driving there & back. The haunting of the Gardens sounds like so much fun. If they're really short on people, I may even volunteer to help. It's only for 2 nights during Halloween weekend so it isn't a big time commitment and what a fun memory to have with the kids!

It's Friday and I have plenty to do at work but I'm not feeling overwhelmed. I'm happy and ready to take on the day. I'm realizing that I've been feeling pretty good about work lately. My anxiety is lifting and I feel like I'm able to function better. Of course the new outfits are helping too.

I have the second new outfit on today - brown cords and a striped sweater with tan, brown, orange and coral stripes. DH said he liked it this morning. He also said I match my dachshund. I wanted to bring her to work as an accessory to the outfit.

The weekend is looking good. There will be a trip to my parents' house to fix their printer and to do a few loads of laundry since my washer is on the fritz. There should be plenty of time for reading and relaxing. Maybe we'll head out to a local corn maze for some fun. DD has been wanting to try one for years.



Let's all enjoy the Friday party!!

 

[septbride2002]

You could be like Paris Hilton and have a doggy for an accesory (sp?)! How cute!

~Amanda

 

[toystoryduo]

Good morning Doe!

I hear the party's already started! TGIF! TGIF! TGIF!! Woohoo!

It sounds like you are relaxed and ready for the weekend. I hope you have a great Friday and a wonderful weekend ahead!

 

[DoeWDW]

Friday night DD, DH and I went to a local corn maze in the dark, armed with 2 flashlights. We had a ball but in the end we finally had to look at the map ($2 extra) and find our way out.

Yesterday I slept late. Then DH and I saw Just Like Heaven at the movies. I fell asleep on the couch in the evening and then couldn't sleep at bedtime so I was up very late (3:30 AM!) playing games on the computer. DD was also up so we were hanging out together in the family room.

Today DD and I are headed to my parents' house. My washer is still not fixed so I'm taking a few loads to run through their washer & dryer. I also have to fix Mom's printer. Then we'll head back home and try to get geared up for the week ahead.

I've started reading a book about highly sensitive people - very interesting reading! I'll do more of a recap later. I've also finished the 3 book series about the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (thoroughly enjoyed this!) and have started Dan Brown's Deception Point. I just LOVE to read!

Food has NOT been very healthy at all and I feel it in my body. I'm sluggish and not feeling "thin" anymore. I know in my head that sugars and refined flours are not good for me but I seem to have gotten myself addicted again. I'll have to work on a detox program that uses baby steps to wean myself off of them.

 

[toystoryduo]

Hi Doe!

Stopping by to WISH you a wonderful Monday!

 

[DoeWDW]

The weekend has come to an end and I'm back in the office. My body is here but my brain is not.

I've been reading a book called The Highly Sensitive Person by Elaine Aron. The subtitle is How to Thrive When the World Overwhelms You. According to the test in the book, I am sensitive and then some. Elaine Aron has a website on this topic - www.hsperson.com - and the test is on there for anyone else who may be interested.

Reading this book has really been making me think a lot about my view of myself (tends to be negative) and where it came from. On one hand I want to fly through the book, learning all I can as fast as possible, and on the other hand, I'm needing time to stop and think and question and mull over what I've read. Looks like I'll be reading the book through twice.

The idea I keep coming back to is that I really need to be kinder to myself. I need to realize that I am fine, just the way I am. I can improve in various areas in my life but I don't NEED to improve in those areas to be acceptable or worthy of love. I need to respect all the things I've done and more importantly I need to acknowledge and love the kind and loving and wonderful person I am right now. It doesn't sound hard to do but for me it is.

Enough introspection for now and down to the realities and practicalities of the day. Breakfast was yogurt. Lunch will be a sausage, egg, cheese croissant. Dinner is up in the air so I may stop at the grocery store on the way home from work to pick something up. Maybe I'll check out some low carb recipe websites and find a new dish to make.

Onward into the day!

 

[septbride2002]

I'm glad you liked Sisterhood! I thought they were great books! Carmen's character really spoke to me on a personal level.

Sounds like you had a wonderful and relaxing weekend. How was the movie? I want to go see that one but DH doesn't.

~Amanda

 

[DoeWDW]

Let's just forget about yesterday's food consumption, shall we? It involved a bit of a chocolate binge, among other things.

In reading this book about the Highly Sensitive Person, I'm remembering so many not-happy experiences in my life. This is hard and sometimes painful. I'm looking at them through the lens of what the book is saying, which helps, but it's still hard to remember the not so good times. However if I don't reframe them using what I'm learning, they will continue to be painful whenever I think of them. While this is tough to do, it is worth the effort to me in the long run.

Today is a new day. I'm going to try to concentrate on work. After work will be a visit to the chiropractor and a trip to the hospital to see a relative who wrecked his 4 wheeler on Sunday, causing a broken leg and several broken ribs.

Food-wise, I will try to behave but I have to recognize that I'll need a few more carbs than usual. Breakfast is a sausage, egg, cheese croissant. Lunch will be yogurt w/ walnuts. Dinner will be spaghetti but I'll keep it to a reasonable portion. I might splurge on a hot chocolate from the Starbucks at the hospital for dessert.

My foot is still bothering me off and on, but I've been reading some good tips for treating it that I'll be trying. The best tip is to use your foot to spell out the alphabet in the air before you get out of bed, to ensure that you've taken it through the full range of motion and thoroughly stretched all the muscles, ligaments and tendons before you put weight on it.

Here I go, into the day!

 

[toystoryduo]

Let's just forget about yesterday's food consumption, shall we? It involved a bit of a chocolate binge, among other things.

I'm with ya, WISH-sis! My food consumption yesterday was out of control to say the least! Thank God today is a new day with new choices and new opportunities! We CAN do this, Doe!

I hope you have a wonderful day filled with God's blessings!

 

[septbride2002]

Thanks for the tip about the foot! Mine still gives me some aches and pains if I've been on it all day. I'll try the alaphabet thing the next time it happens.

Forget about yesterday and focus on today. Make that Starbucks Hot Chocolate your reward for making it a successful day!

~Amanda

 

[Strings]

Hi Doe,

You and Erin always have the deep thought thing going. I hope this book helps you look back and put those painful memories into perspective. Yesterday? What yesterday?

You may want to do a slightly larger lunch. It is a long time between lunch and dinner.

Take care,
Beth

 

[DoeWDW]

Things are looking brighter today.

Yesterday I was feeling tired and overwhelmed. Today I have more energy and am feeling much more optimistic.

Last evening I helped DD apply for a job at the local supermarket. She wants to take a school trip next summer. They'll spend 9 days visiting Madrid, Paris and London. This has inspired her to want to get a job pronto to start saving money.

We never made it to the hospital - just too tired. I did have a reasonable amount of spaghetti for dinner and then I was in bed by 8:30.

So why is the world looking brighter today? Well, I ate better foods yesterday in reasonable amounts. I spent time prioritizing the seemingly hundreds of tasks on my to do list. I got plenty of sleep. I should be treating myself this way all the time.

I'm back in the game of life and liking it!

 

[toystoryduo]

Good morning Doe!

Sounds like you are ready for Wednesday! And ya know... Friday is only 2 days away! Woohoo!

Thanks for your post in my journal yesterday. It has given me some food for thought. Thanks Doe!

Hope you have a wonderful Wednesday!

 

[septbride2002]

I'm happy to hear you are feeling better today. Sometimes I think we need just a little extra sleep and loving to help us get through the week. Know I'm sending you from St. Louis.

Great job on the healthy eating!

~Amanda

 

[Cruise04]

That sounds like a very interesting and powerful book for you. I liked reading what you are finding for yourself out of the book - that is great and usually what books like that should do to people. Being kinder to ourselves is very hard, especially for females because we are seen as the "caretakers" for others and not ourselves. It's just been since this past July that I woke up and realized that I really needed to start doing things to enrich my life and make me healthy - that's why I came here.

Keep on
Chris

 

[lulu201]

Good morning, WISH-sis! I missed you! As usual, you've got lots going on. I'm glad, though, you're taking some time for yourself with the HSP book. . .it's interesting to read your "take" on it. I had to laugh when I read Beth's comment: "You and Erin always have the deep thought thing going." Guess it's all part of our package and comes with the territory, 'ey?

So what good thing are you going to do for yourself today? It's looking a little cloudy right now. How 'bout a nice cup of tea this afternoon?

Hmm, K of P. . .sounds like a nice idea to me. I'll have to think about a day and time. DD wants to shop this weekend for a homecoming dance dress, but I don't know where our shopping will take us--or even if that would work for you. Considering that I've hardly unpacked anything and the only food we have is a gallon of milk, I guess I'm being pretty optimistic . . .how's the weekend looking for you?

Here's another for my WISH-sis. fresh from the World on your day. . .
Erin

 

[DoeWDW]

Another day in the life....

I finally got on the scale this morning - had avoided it for a week. It's at 158 - the highest I've ever seen it. I know I need to exercise but walking is out. Yesterday I found a site called www.t-tapp.com and downloaded some free instructions for some of the key moves. I'll try them for a week or two and see what happens. I also need to dig out my Pilates DVD - not sure where it is. Can't use it if I can't find it.

I've also been doing some research into light therapy. Winters are always so hard on me as far as my moods and my carb cravings. I'm sure I have some amount of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). Of course a light box costs money - the one I'm looking at is on sale for $220. There is no extra money in the budget for this, so I'll have to start saving up for a month or two, if I decide this is the way to go.

Yes, I'm still in deep thought mode. It's one of my favorite places to be, truth be told. The book about being highly sensitive does fit me to a tee. I do tend to reach my stimulation threshold before many others, and I need a lot of quiet time to decompress from the busyness of the world. I feel things more deeply and tend to think deeply. I'm looking back through my life and realizing now how these tendencies have affected my experiences through life. After the initial shock a few days ago, I'm feeling more uplifted and comforted, understanding how my sensitive nature affected various situations.

I'd rather sit and ponder than work but they don't pay me for pondering. I'll have to put these thoughts aside (which has been tough the past few days) and get some work done.

I've taken my meds and am drinking my water. I did some basic exercises this morning before even getting out of bed. I'm ready to jump into the day and make it a good one.

 

[septbride2002]

Good Morning Doe! Sounds like you've been doing some major thinking. I hate to remind you but didn't you buy some Firm tapes off of me? I know they are tough but maybe doing 30 minutes of one of those tapes is just the ticket for you. Not to mention the weight work does help build muscle mass which will help increase your metabolism making it easier for you to lose weight. Know I'm rooting for you!

~Amanda

 

[DoeWDW]

Amanda, I do have the FIRM tapes but am afraid that all the cardio will mess up my foot again. I'm hoping to get back to them in a few months when my foot is better.