Change is good.

"He that takes medicine and neglects diet, wastes the skills of the physician" ~ Chinese Proverb I am in the worst physical condition I have ever been, and I'm only 34 years old...I have never been this heavy during my adult life. Chances are, if I continue with this sedentary life of sitting and eating, I am going to die. Of course, all things die ... but, I'd like to meet death on my own terms. Idealistically, I'd like to be 187 years old, asleep in my warm bed, surrounded by loved ones as I pass away. However, given my current state, I'll be surprised if I make it long enough to see my own grandchildren. So... It's time to get off my duff and do something before it's too late. Currently the only medication I take regularly is Prozac for my  trichotillomania  and stuff for allergies - both of which I don't believe I can change a whole lot by diet. I haven't yet become a diabetic, or developed hypertension, etc. etc., so I think before ...

This past Independence day weekend, my daughter and I made a trip to Wal-Mart that would result in the addition of two new family members... Outside the pearly gates of Wallyworld, in almost a hundred degree heat, stood a man with a shopping cart... can you guess what was in that buggy of his? Well, I'll tell you... puppies. He said he could no longer care for them, and he even tried to get me to "reimburse" him for what he paid for them (or what he said he paid for them). So, being the soft-hearted, lily-livered sucker that I am, I offered to give them a safe, loving home - but, I would not give him any money. He agreed, and handed over the dogs, who enjoyed the comfort of an air-conditioned car to their new home... They were also covered with fleas and ticks, and had a severe upper respiratory infection (they're all better now). Sam  Jack  Believe me when I say I fully intended to just foster the pups until we found them permanent homes...My family had tak...

This is, by far, the blog I've been dreading. I mentioned in a previous writing that I am not a Christian... in fact, here's the exact quote: "For one, I am a student of all religions, and I follow an eclectic conglomerate of them ... I am not a Christian (or a follower of any Abrahamic religion) which makes me, by definition, a pagan- but not the hippiegranolaflowerchildnodeoderantunshaven kind that most people think of... but we'll come back to that one later."  So! It is now "later". It's difficult to describe, exactly, what it is I feel inside about religion, but I think that holds true for most people. I'd say, there are as many "versions" of any religion as there are people who practice it, even within the same denomination. I'm sure there are things that my mother does differently than my father, even though they've been sweethearts for approximately 40 years. I think the best way I can do this is similar to the way I...

A little over a year ago, I published a list of rules for myself - basically a guideline of things I wanted to change about myself. (You can read the entire blog HERE ) Let's just say, I've never been very good at following directions, even my own. I'll break it down for ya ... original rules are in italics 1. The aforementioned rule of only eating at the dining room table (save for the special occasion of eating out with the family) This one was pretty much null and void when we moved to Tennessee, since we no longer have a large dining room table. We do have a patio set, but the weather is not always cooperative. We often put the children at the small table in the kitchen, and Hubs and I sit... well, wherever. 2. The chore chart will be implemented every day. The chore chart magnets are still somewhere packed in a box, I think, and the dry-erase board is hanging in my daughter's room, which features rules that she doesn't follow. The apple doesn't fall...

Writing has almost always been a passion of mine... I'm not including the spaces of time before I could read and write (although, I've always enjoyed stories), or moments of sleep deprivation via newborn babies, or the first several months of playing World of Warcraft when life was all about Azeroth. I've won a couple small awards for my writing in high school, and once had a college professor read my story "Silly Putty" in front of the whole class. THAT was a glorious moment, indeed... Thank you, Mrs. VanLear :) (Somewhere in a box of papers, said story still exists, and perhaps one day I'll find it and share) Years ago I began a writing project, which has since been molded and shaped into what will someday be a book - I hope. The idea popped into my head one day, during a " zen moment ", and the writing began straight away. In fact, during my mapping process for this story, I've spread what I have so far over the course of four books .....

Here's an ancient blog I wrote on Myspace a while back... but a couple people requested it, so here it is ... enjoy! ********************************* Bathroom Chemestry 101 It was about 1:30 am when I finally made my way upstairs for bed. I pried myself away from the television long enough to check my e-mail, let the dogs in, and grab a glass of ice water before making the "night rounds"... food put away - check cats in - check lights out - check children asleep - check So, after sending the pups to their beds and removing the days jewels, I decided to take a shower. A nice hot cleansing ritual to remove the days dirt and negativity. So ... I'm diggin' this relaxing bath ... washed me ... washed my hair ... rinsed ... and reached for the conditioner ... to my horror, I found that there was no more conditioner !! WHAT?!?!?! How could this be? I bought both bottles at the same time - shampoo and conditioner both 21 ounces ... I use the same sized dollo...

I consider myself a thinker, and have had the good fortune to hear such from outside sources. I remember as a child being reprimanded by teachers for being a "daydreamer". So sorry that my imagination is much more exciting than learning how to divide fractions. Yes, I know math is important, but I believe that letting the mind wander (at least once daily) is equally beneficial. I speculate that society's most brilliant minds - both past and present - were daydreamers. I can visualize these folks as kids... The architect who played with Legos and built castles for kings and fair maidens ... The teacher who sat all her dolls and stuffed bunnies in a line to sing the alphabet song ... The writer who lost herself in books; a new adventure every night. My kids are dreamers, too. Sixyearoldboy (who will be Sevenyearoldboy next week) has a passion for food. He loves the tastes and smells of the herbs I have growing on the patio. He'll choose to watch Food Network over Ni...

I set two alarms before I go to bed to make sure I get up on time to put the children on the school bus. One beside my bed - a nice CD player one that allows me the privelege to hear Tchaikovsky's 1812 overture instead of some obnoxious buzzing noise, and the other is my cell phone. I do, however, have a third alarm. Her name is Alice. A person could almost set thier watch by this cat. Seriously. At 6:15 there's the buzzbuzz vibration of my cell phone alarm, followed five minutes later by triumphant trumpets, symbol crashes and (my favorite) real honesttogoodness cannons firing. Should I decide to be lazy for a few more minutes - which is usually the case - Alice begins her morning ritual in the litter box. 6:25 am on the dot ! I don't like having a litter pan in the bedroom, but there's nowhere else to put it. The bathroom is too small, and I don't like the idea of having that in the kitchen where we eat. So, there it is.. in my bedroom... Blech. So, Alice likes t...

Trichotillomania is defined as the compulsive pulling of one's own hair. Some would categorize it as impulse control disorder, others as obsessive compulsive disorder. Either way, it's a real pain in the rear...well, in the head to be more literal. Trich , as some sufferers call it, is something of an enigma. It's considered rare and difficult to treat, not to mention it results in social stigmas that can destroy even the strongest of personalities. Here it is from my perspective... When I was about thirteen I started pulling in my sleep. I would awaken in the morning with strands of hair on my pillow and even clutched in my hands. There would be moments (usually bouts of teen angst or boredom) when I would "zone out", plucking away, only to find hours later that I'd removed large portions of hair from my head. What have I done? How embarrassing ! Everyone was going to think I was crazy... maybe I am crazy . I'd better come up with a lie... and a good one...

I must explain, for those of you who are so unfortunate to have never experienced one, what a "Zen moment" is. It is a frame of time not defined by length, but by the quality of conscious thought accompanied by complete focus, pseudo -silence, and a room temperature between 68 and 73 degrees Fahrenheit . The added smell of vanilla or apples and cinnamon from a nearby Glade air freshener may enhance such moments. Zen moments for me are few and far between, but when they come I'm sure to use them to the best of my ability. Well... Kinda . I do my best thinking in the Throne Room...a trait I've inherited from dear ol ' dad. I realize now that my father had a great many Bathroom Zen Moments when my sister and I were kids... He learned to do shorthand writing in there, and came up with some of the best woodworking plans while paying homage to the Porcelain God... still does, in fact. I believe this is where he schemed most, if not all of, his best Christmas pr...