Update on the new year

I'm making progress. The "healthy eating" is going well. I do have to use up foods that are in the house, so we're not yet 100% on track, but as I go grocery shopping each week, all that's coming into the house are healthy foods. Ninety percent of the time, I'm substituting mustard for mayo on sandwiches. When I do use mayo, it's Hellman's Canola Oil mayo, which doesn't have the saturated fats that regular mayo does. 100% whole grain wheat breads are all I buy, and I don't by lunchmeats unless I can purchase Boars Head meats (no fillers, no trans fats, far far superior to standard store lunchmeats). For breakfast I've been having either oatmeal (no flavors, just plain) or a 100 calorie English Muffin. On the english muffin I use low fat cottage cheese in place of butter. Lunch has pretty much been a sandwich of sliced turkey or leftover chicken with lettuce, or sliced Boars Head ham with low fat cheese and mustard. We've been eating a lot of homemade soups and chili for dinner. I did make a huge batch of chili last week, using ground sirloin and ground turkey instead of high fat ground beef, LOTS of vegetables in it, and high fiber black beans. We had three meals out of it, and I froze another three, plus gave Mary a serving to take home. Today I'm making ham and lentil soup, but instead of ham hocks, I bought one slice of Boars Head ham, sliced at 1/4 inch thickness, which I will cube up to put in the soup. Mmmmmmm...good stuff! Night time snacking (though honestly, I'm not a big night snacker) has now become an apple or a banana or a tangerine when I do snack. I'm more an afternoon snacker, so I make a cup of coffee and have a Stella Dora breakfast biscuit (90 calories and really appeases my sweet tooth). So, it's going good. Still no exercise because my hip has been bothering me a lot. Brayden and I did get outside and go for a walk on Wednesday (him on his tricycle and me pushing, so maybe that's some extra calories burned in addition to the walking!), but that's been it. I need to call an electrician and have them add some wiring downstairs because my treadmill blows a fuse when I plug it in. But that's no excuse -- I could be outside walking! It would probably actually help my hip! I've emailed one dear friend, Karen, but still need to sit down and write to my sisters Sarah and Gail to meet his month's goal of keeping in touch. I also need to call my friend Tricia. I haven't heard from her in so long and am starting to worry about her a little! (Note to self - do it today!) As for the other items -- I talked to Jeff about getting up to the cabin in Hocking Hills, but still need a date from him when he can take off work. I've added zinc, vitamin C and euchinacea to my regular vitamins to build up my immunity. I've got a new quilt project planned (see my other blog) and hope to start it today. I've decided to go back to work for Home Instead (assisting seniors in their home), which in my mind (and in light of the low pay) combines working part time and volunteering! LOL I've been waiting to get Jeff through his Hell Week (which has actually become Hell Month) and us through our colds before I call them. In the past I was given a specific client to visit one day a week, and I'd like to do that again. So, I'm happy with my progress so far, and I hope to keep moving forward on everything!

Monday & To Do List

I'm making progress, slow but sure, on my New Year's "self-promises". I've slowly been changing our eating habits -- for example, using mustard on sandwiches rather than mayo, using only 100% whole wheat bread, having fruit for a snack at night instead of chips or a sugary treat, eliminating bacon and sausage from our breakfast table. Slow but sure. I'm *finally* feeling better! I actually have some energy this morning and no cough! Oh my! Life is good! I swear, it's the first time since before Thanksgiving that I actually woke up feeling like I could have a productive day! Yay!!! So I'm back to my Monday To Do List, and hope to actually get everything done on the list. TO DO LIST

• Vac downstairs - done
• Dust downstairs - done
• Good general pick-up downstairs - done
• Windex slider, appliances, front windows - done
• Change sheets - done
• Clean cat box - oops, forgot! Tomorrow!
• Freeze chili - done
• Call prosecutor's office - too late :(
• Email Karen, Sarah

Our weather today may hit a record high -- very high 60's (the record is 68)!! I have already turned off the heat and opened a few windows, and will open more once Jeff goes to work. It will be wonderful to air the entire house out -- banish some germs!

It's Friday....YESSSSS

Today is the third day in a row of my babysitting for my grandson, Brayden. At the same time, I'm trying to fight off the last of the latest round of bronchitis/cold, get through the post-Christmas stuff (putting decorations away, taking the tree down, writing thank you notes, etc.) and through Jeff's end-of-the-year Hell Weeks where he works anywhere from 15 to 20 hours a day. If you say to Brayden, "It's Friday!" he pumps his little fist in the air and says, "YESSSSS!". Too cute. But also pretty indicative of the way all of us feel about Friday! I'm tired, no doubt about it. Although, as Brayden gets older I'm not as worn out at the end of a day with him as I was when he was more of an infant. But the cold, though winding down, still has me in it's grips and my energy level hasn't survived from that yet. I did add Zinc and Vitamin C supplements to my regular vitamins, and as soon as I started on those, the cold seemed to loose it's grip. Still not gone, but at least that's not all I can think about. I feel so bad for Jeff though. He is about a week behind me with this cold, and he has a cough as bad or worse than mine was, plus he's having to deal with the stress of his end-of-year work, and the long hours. I know he's absolutely exhausted all of the time -- I can see it in his face and eyes. I wish there was something I could do to help him, but other than make homemade soups and make sure he's got a cup of tea when he wants it, there's not much I can do for him. It's been bitterly cold here all week but today it finally got into the high 30's, low 40's, so Brayden and I got out of the house for awhile. We went to the bank and the library. I had a "talk" with him before we went to the library about being quiet and staying with me (vs laughing at the top of his lungs and running through the library the last time we went!), and he behaved beautifully. Can he possibly understand at 20 months?? LOL I think he does. Books I took out today: HAPPINESS IS AN INSIDE JOB: PRACTICING FOR A JOYFUL LIFE by Sylvia Boorstein, Ph.D. I read self-help books like other people read topselling fiction. The title caught my eye, so I took it out. DEATH IN A PAIRIE HOUSE: FRANK LLOYD WIRGHT AND THE TALIESIN MURDERS non-fiction by William Drennan. I just thought this was an appropriate title to read after I'd finished LOVING FRANK (see column in right). I've actually had it on hold for several weeks at the library, so others must have thought the same! RUN by Ann Patchett. I can't wait! If Brayden wasn't here I'd have this half-finished by now! By the author of one of my top-ten-books-of-all-time, BEL CANTO. I have no idea what this one is about, but the author's name is enough to get me excited! With luck, I'll read through this one this weekend. The first of the weekend needs to be spent cleaning house. Between being sick, Christmas and babysitting, my house is dusty and dirty throughout. I hope to get through the upstairs on Saturday and the downstairs on Sunday, catching up on laundry throughout the weekend. The kitchen and bathrooms need a good de-germing with all the cold germs around here, and I'll clorox everything I can wherever I can. It will be a busy weekend, but the weather is supposed to be much warmer -- almost 60 degrees! - so I may even be able to open windows and air everything out for an hour or two in the afternoon. Yippy!