Yoga and walking

Checking back in...
(amazingly enough, I have been trying to write this post for two days)

I would love to say that I have worked out half a dozen times since my last post, but not quite.

I have put to use two fun resources, one old and one new (to me from the library!) to encourage me to move. 10 Minute Workout is one that I have had around for a couple of years. It has five different ten minute workouts: pilates, yoga, boot camp, ballet and kickboxing. I am starting slowly with the yoga. The others are fun, especially the kickboxing and I hope to work back into that soon.

My borrowed-from-the-library find is Kathy Smith's Power Walk
This is fun, and really not too hard. I did the 30 minute power walk and felt great. The next day I could feel it in my abs, so I know it did some good. It was certainly more entertaining than the other walking videos I have tried.

I have also been walking our nice long driveway, or I had been until the weather turned very ugly. This week promises to be better, so hopefully I will get back outside.

Hopefully, my next check -in will include happy news of falling numbers on my scale.

I guess that should mean no ice cream tonight. ;-)

False starts

Two months since my last post... Not a great start to my new blog and new resolve, but sadly, not all that unusual.

It has been a long two months, with lots of fun and also deep sorrow and worry. We had a great vacation at the lake in mid-August and were all set to dive into the school year when we got back. Then we got the sad, sad news that my sister-in-law Tonia had died suddenly of a heart attack. The next two weeks were filled with sadness and worry for my brother who was, of course, devastated. We waited for the arrangements to be made, and then made our own so we could get to Florida for the funeral. Lots of driving and lots of sorrow.

But after the funeral, we were able to make our beach vacation that we had been planning and anticipating for months. We went with good friends and had a wonderful week. It was just what we all needed.

Unfortunately, we came back and got news that my brother was ill and for days we worried and prayed. He is physically better, but we all know that he is still grieving terribly and needs constant prayers. By the end of that week, I had the flu. Two weeks later now, and I am still struggling to feel myself again. Part of me worries that "myself" isn't what it used to be. Maybe it is my approaching birthday, but I am feeling older and weaker, suddenly I am not "young" anymore.

So, I come here tonight to make new resolutions. I WILL start working out again. I WILL lose this 30 lbs. I WILL begin the process of de-cluttering my home so that it is a joy to live in. And I WILL get my homeschooling organized so that we maximize our work time and have the time we want to pursue all those other things we enjoy.

One thing at a time. I will start tomorrow with some light exercise as I am still recovering. Maybe I will find a new, fun exercise video, or pull out an old favorite. Then I will come here and tell you all about it while I drink a tall glass of cold water.

Stay tuned....

One Whopper at a Time

I was thinking about the busyness, and hurriedness, of my life as I indulged on some candy while passing through the kitchen. It occurred to me as I grabbed a handful of Whoppers, that I no longer took the time to enjoy them.



I remember as a child, I would take one Whopper at a time and eat all of the chocolate off before popping the rest in my mouth. I would do the same with Rolos. Candy corn had to eaten one color at a time, usually in a different order for each piece. Candy was a treat to be savored. The process was as important as the taste. Now, it is just something else to rushed through without thought or appreciation.



So, my goal is to slow down and eat one Whopper at a time.

Sound like a good plan?

The story of me

The title of a blog says so much about the blogger. At least, it should. So, for a couple of weeks, I have been kicking around names for this new blog, names such as "Distractable Molly" and "Intentional Living". These two names are telling in that the first describes where I am, the second where I want to be. I wanted something not too serious, but not too sarcastic, either.

When it came down to it, there is probably no better way to sum up where I am and what my daily struggle looks like than "Have you seen my glasses?". You can, of course, substitute many things for glasses: keys, wallet, cell phone, etc. Yes, I am an organizational mess!

So, why a new blog?

We are all on a journey. As a Catholic, I know what I want my final destination to be. It's not about this world, it's about getting to Heaven. It is so easy to lose sight of this fact as I just try to get through the day getting everyone fed, clothes washed, and maybe the house just a little better than when I started the day.

My hope for this blog is to share this journey. I am trying daily to get a little more organized, a little more holy, and a little more joyful. I want to come here to talk, to whine, to share ideas and to chronicle my progress (hopefully). I want to share my thoughts, as random and sometimes jumbled as they may be. I want to share my great finds and give encouragement to those who
might share some of my struggles.

Most of all, I want to take the time to look intentionally at my life, to measure what I am doing and why, and to renew each day the commitment to do better.

Care to join me? I hope so. By the way, I lost my glasses last week, so we don't need to look for them today. ;-)