So Funny

The other day I was talking to my daughter, Sarah. She told Davey, (Punkin) who is 4 1/2 years old, that his daddy was in Miami on business. After a short pause Davey said, "Mommy, where is your ami?"

I just love childen!

The Quote Jackpot

I don't know why I love quotes so much, but I do. I think it is because they say something significant in just a few words that touch me and get right to the heart. I hit the jackpot today and found several quotes all in the same place. Here they are.

"The great thing in this world is not so much where we stand as in what direction we are moving." -Oliver Wendall Holmes, Sr.



"Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined." -Henry David Thoreau

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." -Mark Twain

"Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you'll land among the stars." -Les Brown

"May you live all the days of your life." -Jonathan Swift

"The future depends on what we do in the present." -Mahatma Gandhi

All these quotes are the like the curbs on the side of the road that help me keep focused on my goals for this new year.

"Without the curbs it is too easy to look off to the side of the road, and before you know it, you have jumped the curb and landed in the ditch." - Judy Wright

Hey, I think I might just have made up my own quote. Does that mean now I can quote myself?

That's a funny thought!

Crossing The Bridge

Tomorrow will be the start of the third week of my new eating program. I feel like I have been re-inventing myself. What I am doing is so much more than being on a diet. I am changing my life.

I don't know why I started when I did. I was just ready. I woke up the morning of January 1st, 2008 and that was it. Yes, I had been thinking about dieting for a long time, but that was nothing new. It almost feels like I didn't decide. Something just shifted and away I went.

I know what helped. I found a program online that seemed to fit for me and I started crossing the bridge from one way of thinking and being to a new way of thinking and being. The bridge feels strong and secure and able to support my footsteps.

Beneath the picture is a quote I found that I really like.

“There's a difference between interest and commitment. When you're interested in doing something, you do it only when it's convenient. When you're committed to something, you accept no excuses; only results.” -Kenneth Blanchard

Being on my new journey has been intensely focused, fun, exciting and successful. I have lost 4.4 lbs as of this morning which is right on target for my goal. Inside the last two weeks my weight has fluctuated, but it helps me to watch the inconsistency of weight on the scale (it goes up and down during the week) while I am being consistent in following my new eating plan.

If I got discouraged because I saw the scale go up during the week, I would never see it go down. I would eat to drown my sorrow. So, I have made a commitment to being consistent, follow my plan and believe the long range result will follow. So far, so good!

A Little Talk About Goals

Today is Friday,January 11th and I have made a decision.
(This post has been in my draft folder since yesterday. That is why it says Thursday, January 10, at the top of the post.)

Judy on December 18, 2007

I don't think making a decision is the same thing as making a new year's resolution. First of all, new year's resolutions get bad press. What is the first thing you think about when you think about making a new year's resolution?

I usually think I have to do something I haven't been able to do and have to do and will have to work real hard at doing it before I stop doing it and essentially break my new year's resolution!

If you followed that, you are hopefully laughing by now. That sentence flowed out of me like nobody's business. That is why I didn't punctuate it....no need for puncuation when you are on a roll, right?

So, my decision is to lose weight and make my eating and exercise a lifetime and lifestyle change. Now, since I am already in good health, I have decided I want to stay in good health. My thinking is this.

I can either decide to live my life differently and manage my eating before I get high blood pressure, diabetes, heart trouble or a stroke, or I can wait until my health would dictate that I had to manage my life differently. Personally, I am all for prevention.

On January 1, 2008 I joined an online site that is designed to help me reach my goals. The site is http://www.sparkpeople.com/ and has already become something like an old friend. Below is one of the Healthy Reflection emails I received from them.

Getting specific about your goals

"Are your goals detailed enough for you to reach them? We all have aspirations and we are better off for having made them. But if your goals are too vague or unstructured, you'll find that attaining them is difficult. Wanting to lose 30 pounds is a wonderful goal, but it needs a plan to get you on the right track. These things don't happen overnight. Today, think about your goals and form a plan to achieve them. Write them down, chart your progress, refer to them as often as you need to stay on track, and most importantly, hold yourself accountable."

Below is a quote by Lily Tomlin that accompanied the Healthy Reflection.

"I have always wanted to be somebody, but now I realize I have to be more specific."- Lily Tomlin, actress

The quote made me laugh, but not as much as this next story.

Quite a number of years ago, perhaps twelve years ago, I was visiting with a client. She was talking about losing weight and told me she had joined Weight Watchers. I said, "Great, have you lost any weight yet?"

She said, "Nope! I realized I can't just join. I have to go!"

It has now been eleven days and I have done exactly what I set out to do. For eleven straight days in a row I have managed my eating and my life differently. I like it. I like how I feel on the inside. I like my thinking. I like the creativity I have had with food and having more fun at the grocery store. Who knew reading labels could be so fun! If I live to be 100 years old..hmmmm..now, how many more days will I be doing this?

Oh, and I will be turning 65 this March. This is indeed a year of transition and change. I am going to be entering the Age Of Medicare. Whoever would have thought it?

And, and, and..........I CANNOT FORGET TO DRINK MY WATER!

Just A Nice Reminder Of Something We Always Knew

Life is too short to wake up with regrets.

So love the people who treat you right.

Forget about the one's who don't.

Believe everything happens for a reason.

If you get a second chance, grab it with both hands.

If it changes your life, let it.

Nobody said life would be easy,

they just promised it would be worth it.

Friends are like balloons: once you let them go,

you can't get them back.

So I'm gonna tie you to my heart so I never lose you.

(Anonymous)

January 6, 2001

No, it is not a mistake that I wrote January 6, 2001. It was on that day that my mother died. Today is the anniversary of her death and I have thought about her throughout the day. If I am anything at all, I am a person who loves and believes in symbolism.

It was on the first anniversary of her death that my granddaughter, Amelia, was baptized. As we drove to the church I looked at the sky and there was a rainbow. The funny thing was we were not having rain and sun...the two ingredients we are told that make rainbows. It just seemed to appear. I smiled and said, "Hi mom," and then I cried. I believe it was her way of telling me she was with us.

Sometime after September 11, 2001 happened I was sitting at my computer. I had a picture of my mother to the left of me and all of a sudden I heard her voice as clear and plain as anything. I heard her voice so clearly I literally turned around to see if she was there. She said to me, "Judy, everyone is ok. I know. I'm here."

My mother was a remarkable woman and a wonderful mom. I learned many things from her. One of the most important things I learned is to trust my feelings. I also learned how to be an independent woman without losing my softness. She had a beautiful blend of a great mind and a warm, loving and caring heart.

What brought all this on was one more experience that happened tonight as I was looking at my email. I received, of all things, a powerpoint show on carving pumpkins. There was nothing astounding about that until the music began playing. The music was "Tennessee Waltz," which was my mother's favorite song. It was playing as she left the church at the end of her funeral. Once again, I felt her presence so close I could almost touch her.

This picture was taken in 1999. My daughter, Sarah, made this sweatshirt for my mom. I think she wore it everywhere she went. We all love you and miss you Mom, Grandma and Great Grandma! xoxoxoxo

Thank You Susan For Your Lovely Words

Judy,

This is utterly and exclusively one of the most touching Christmas and New Year displays I have ever seen. Your photography is outstanding. As I scrolled through reading your journal and listening to "Ave Maria" I truly had to keep swallowing the lump in my throat. I thought if I started to cry I wouldn't be able to stop.

What a deliciously beautiful family you have. You are blessed and so deserving of the blessings you have.

Love, Susan

Thank you Susan for letting me know my Christmas and New Year's posts touched you. Words like yours touch me right back and I wanted to share them with everyone. Some things are just too good and too kind to keep to myself.

I know I have asked you at other times if I might publish your comments, and you have always said I can share what you write.

Thank you!

"IT'S GOING TO BE GREAT IN 2008." (Spread the word)

I Wonder What Good Things 2008 Will Bring

I know that last year, 2007, was full of so many good things. I know that one of my guiding principles was, "Judy, just say yes!" I wanted to say yes to new ideas, new experiences and new opportunities.

The picture below is a picture of the moon in Greece because I said "yes" when the opportunity to take a trip to Italy and Greece with my 14 year old grandson landed in front of me. The trip was incredible and I think the picture is incredible! I captured a picture of the moon in Greece with my three and a half year old Olympus digital camera. How amazing is that? How amazing is it that I was there?

I don't know what this year will bring, but I know I am open to the ideas, experiences and new opportunities that will fall in my path. I also know I will create new experiences and new opportunities because I know my mind is rarely quiet and I love to create something memorable.

I found a quote this morning that spoke to the openness I feel and the courage I like to think I have.

"Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss you shall land amongst the stars." (Emerson)

Moon in Greece

Happy New Year Everyone!