Christmas Day Still

Made it church this morning. A bit late, due to the still slick spots on highways and byways of Dallas. Passed a ravine with 6 cars resting it, plus a wreck with 3 cars, not including the police car and an ambulance passed me. Oh, and there was the pick-up that got caught on my ice and tried to slide into my lane. Got back in control tho. All in all, Pastor Rickie Rush, of Inspiring Body of Christ Church, held the 10am service at 10:45, just to give folks more time to get there. My usual 20 minute or so drive, took me about 45, so I was grateful. Pastor Rush didn't keep us long because he said folks wanted to get on with their own celebrations. I can admire him for that.

Pastor Rush said there were people there, who needed explanation why their Christmases and other parts of life are what they are and not what they want (which is like me.). Pastor Rush used John 14:6. All things must go thru Jesus. And maybe where you're at now is where you need to be before you get to the place He has for you. He gave you a gift. And to learn how to use that gift for His Glory needs to some attention. Made me ponder.

I also followed my Christmas Tradition of going to a movie. This year: "It's Complicated" with Meryl Streep, Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin. Just have to love those three. What can Meryl NOT do? Can Alec be anymore smarmy, yet lovable? And Steve--just wanted to take him home for chocolate croissants. Sure, there were some parts made the movie longer than it shoulda been, although I still believe "It's Complicated" is in the "It's Marvelous" category! Loved to see a movie with my demographic in the lead and not so Lifetime Movie where somebody dies. I give it three and a half croissants, plus a cup of coffee.

I later sat on park bench swing, feed ducks--some greedy ones took the bread right from my hand, swung back and forth, and pondered a time of year, I still so good about--Even tho I wish some things were different. I remember all this is temporary and 2010 is 'round the corner. New adventures do await and that excites me! He's brought me so far, in situations I never thought I'd ever have listed on my life's resume and He has yet to leave me.

In the meantime, it is Christmas Day Still and more I need to enjoy.

Merry Christmas and You are blessed.

41 Pound Weight

That's what's hangs on my hips. Thighs. Chin. Waist. You name it. The 41 pounds of weight is there.

You see, I'm a full sized girl. Zeftig. Rubenesque-Whatever adjective you want to use. I could say fat. Guess, I am. Yet, it doesn't sounds a groovy cool at zeftig. Sounds put downish, and I ain't nothing about being put down. The deal is, I've had this blog since 2008--right before I bought this house. Adventures along the way, yet at present, kinda stalled on the blog front. A friend asked me if I was going to keep up with it. I knew I wanted to. Life has alot of dips and such. But I didn't know what I wanted to write about. Doing this blog had become dull. I cannot tell a lie, however I wanted to continue.

Sure, there are things going on: politics, football, teen idol crushes from once upon a decade, could be commented on. But what is my blog's purpose? In my new favorite movie, "Julie and Julia" (starring phenomenal Meryl Streep as Julia Child) the husband of Julie (not Julia) asked her what was most important to her, when Julie asked what she should blog about. I sat in the theatre and had my 'A-ha' moment, which I'm sure Oprah would be so proud.

All of life is important to me. Yet the one thing, that hangs all over me is 41 pounds of weight. I've mentioned before my mitral valve replacement surgery in March 2006. In fact, I had a 6 months check up last week with my cardiologist. Such high marks I received. My doc was thrilled-alas, my blood pressure was a bit high. It always is, when I see her.

My weight. I'd recently lost a few pounds, but I never put my full weight on my bathroom scale. Denial. I've been back exercising-walking and treadmilling. And will do aerobics tomorrow. The truth is, I'd lost 70 pounds. Still a full figured girl. I was a 16/18, with a goal of 14, which is the average size of a woman. Around the time I bought the house, job went haywire, and my exercise regime fell to the wayside. As that fell, my weight climbed. I don't know if I actually gained all of the 70 pounds back. A good chunk landed on my hips though.

I do know I had to get over the denial and put my feet down. Both of them. So as of this morning, I'm 41 pounds away from where I was after surgery. When Movie Man first saw me in real clothes when he came to take me home from the hospital that chilly day in March 2006, "Where did you go?"

That's what this blog's new phase will entail. The journey we'll take together to lose 41 pounds. I want more--yet, let's get to where we were before. Why share it with you?

Why not? You'll keep me accountable. We'll help each other. I'm not into Jenny Craig, Weight Watchers (which I've done years ago) or anything else, however if you are and they work for you--then Do It! We can talk about it. You and me. I'm not gonna lie and say, "I will NEVER eat another onion ring or ice cream!"

Get real. Eat in moderation. Know what you're putting in your body. I did it before. I can do it again.

And I will still have something to say about Donny Osmond and any other teen dream I had, plus any current one. And anything else I feel like chatting about, but first and foremost, I'll tell you how the day went when it came to munching--like today, instead of my usual old fashioned oatmeal you fix on the stove, with a spoonful of brown sugar and sliced fresh strawberries, I savored a peanut butter sandwich on 100% wheat bread, which I've chowed for years, with whole fresh strawberries. See, you make me accountable!

Do I have a deadline? Sure, I'd love for this 41 pound weight gone by my next cardiologist visit in January 2010.

You just never know.

This is life.

Live it!