The Big Move (2008)

5 day Countdown - Feb 10, 2008

Current mood:adventurous
Well, it's here, I'm finally counting down in single digits how quickly this trip - no, this journey -  will arrive now.  And I started thinking about travel.  Here in Ohio, I've met several women who have rarely been outside the local county, let alone outside the state; several who don't, or won't, drive on the interstates, some who have never been on an airplane.  As one who has always traveled interstates, taken trips and flown a bit, it was a culture shock for me when I first arrived.  Now that I've been here nearly 10 years, I can understand it ... sort of.  But that doesn't mean these women don't have dreams and fantasies of taking off to foreign places, distant cities, indulging in their wildest dreams. 

I want to encourage those women, give them permission to indulge a little!  Take a risk, say yes instead of no.  There's an expression that we've all read...  "the independent woman" or "a woman of independent means" and we usually associate that with women who can take care of themselves financially.  But money isn't the only thing that makes women independent any longer, and lack of it doesn't prevent us from being independent.  What makes us independent is our imagination.  Give your imagination some respect.  Your fantasies of independence, if only for a short while, are like holy whispers of what's Possible. ..... Turn your ear inward, and lisssssten  .....

PS:  on a more personal note, if you don't think there's a bit of fear in this journey of mine, in starting a new life, in a new city, think again.  It can be scary, but the other side of the coin is that it can be a beginning, a new chapter, a real excitement ...... I took a risk, and said yes! 

THAT kind of day - Feb 11, 2008

Current mood:distractable
Four days to go, and a million and one things to do ... so when I arrived home it's like, OK Son, it's supposed to snow tomorrow, so let's get some stuff done... Laundry first.  We each grab 2 loads and head for the laundry room, get them started in the washer.  Then, because he was out, jacket and gloves on, I convinced him we needed to go 'round the back gate into the patio and pull the weeds that is required by our lease "to take with us" .... (lol yes! it totally says that!) But the back gate won't open; send him 'round to the front to get his crowbar, and we finally get the gate unstuck, but it won't open all the way.  So there we are, trying to crack the frozen ground  and loosen some rocks so the gate opens.  AHA!  we got that, and got in, pulled a few weeds, took a load of loose boards to the trash.

By that time, the washers are done, and we go in to get the next loads, hike them over to the laundry room and load them into the washers, moving the washed stuff to dryers.  Darn!  We ran out of quarters, so I hiked back to the apt to get more, toss them into the machines and .. whoops! who has the soap?  Back to the apt to grab the soap, and finally get them started.  Heavens, but its been THAT kind of day.  Same with work.  I figured I'd feel like I was more on a countdown, but it was business as usual.  Which is a good thing . . . no time to think, no time to worry, just getting things taken care of like any other day.  The only minor exception to that was I forgot to check my schedule? I showed up 4 hours early for work.   Yep! its been THAT kind of day!  Hopefully, yours wasn't quite like that!
 . . . . . . HAPPY MONDAY!  Hugs

3 Days & Counting - Feb 12, 2008

Current mood:anxious

Each day passes, and I'm that much closer to loading truck and heading out west.  Today, I made all those phone calls that take up so much time... shutting off the utilities,  --- and making arrangements for the same at the new apt.  In addition, its required that I have renters insurance, so a phone call to my auto carrier, and adding that policy costs $100/year.  Ok, I can handle that.  But, by combining the two policies? I save $74 on my auto. hehehe go figure, for once I get a break!   Now, if only I can figure out what to do about internet services there..... *sigh*  It's all complicated, and crazy.  Right now, I'm paying a total of $35/month.  Can't find much to replace that. Yet. But I'll keep looking.  

It's getting to be a drag looking at all the piles and piles of boxes here .. nothing is where it belongs, and I keep worrying that I'll forget to do something, or misplace something that I'll need right away, and not be able to find it.   Then I keep telling myself that .. things work out for the best .. they will on these things too.   

My folks are driving down from Calif and will be there when I arrive.  I'm sure my daughter and granddaughter will be there, too.  I haven't seen everyone in a year.  So I'm looking forward to this "reunion" of sorts.  HUGGGS to everyone!

just a PS from 2019 .. .we used the dining room to stack all the boxes as they were packed.  Some had been packed and stacked for nearly a year!  As the date got closer, the less things we would need and more boxes were added.  Except for my son's room.  He *told* me he had been packing ... *sigh*

Try Something New

Today is a new beginning!  Frankly, every day is a new beginning, a new start, a chance to make a change, and today it's mine!  I'm starting the new Plexus Slim, and am having my first #pinkdrink as I jot down these notes.

Why?  My health.  I have issues with gut health, am currently taking meds to combat the effects of Bile Acid Malabsorption (BAM from here on out)  My liver produces bile acid, and my gall bladder has been removed, so said BA goes right into my system, and irritates my colon with the usual typically bad reaction.  Thank goodness the cholystyramine that I take once a day does the trick-- most days.   With a bit of research, it's safe to assume that while I don't want to reduce the bile my liver produces, I could improve the quality of the bile.  Which sounds like a very weird thing!

Personally, I've found that eating sugary or fatty foods makes things worse.  I also recently introduced oranges into my diet, and those?  are a no-no!  I'm guessing too much acid.  I've also recently discovered that drinking water with higher alkalinity seems to improve things as well. Because of this new PinkDrink, I'm supposed to drink half my body weight in water each day.  That might be just a stretch; however, when I was exercising, I was hitting 100+ oz per day.  So it's doable!

Eating too much also amps up the BA, so "eat small and often" .... but let's face reality.  Changing our eating habits is one of the hardest things a person can do.  Sticking with it is even harder!  Small changes that you stick to over a long period of time seem to be the best way for making a long term change.  We all think we're strong enough to do it! But statistically, it's a very hard road.  And we slip up.  For me, it was the hardest thing giving up "donut Friday" at work.  But I did it.  For about 6 weeks.  Last Friday, I slipped up, and couldn't resist a quick afternoon sugar high.  The end result wasn't fun.

The other thing I know that I need to do is to kick my Diet Coke habit.  Again.  Three years ago when I was on a big exercise kick, I was able to do it.  Nine years ago when I moved from Ohio to Arizona, the money struggle was real and I kicked it then, too.  But I keep going back to it.  Why?  I'm not sure ... caffeine, because it tastes good, or my personal favorite:  I'm hooked on the bubbles! (lol)

My trip to the grocery store each week is usually filled with good intentions, I even make it out the door with healthy choices, but the stresses of the week become too much and my will power loses its oomph.  When I get home and am making the dinner choice -- broccoli and cauliflower just don't make the top of the list when I'm stressed! 

So today, with a weekly plan, and a shopping list in hand ....... off I go to the grocery store!
Wish me luck!

New Beginnings Ritual

As the sun sinks in the west, 

and twilight falls, 

the new moon will rise.

 

I sit myself down on the floor.  My basket of things is next to me, and there's a small stool in front of me. I call the elements:

     Earth.  Wind.  Water.  Fire.

I light my candle to call Goddess. 

And I let the energy swirl around and concentrate on the new beginnings I want to manifest.

My hand takes up my pen and write in my notebook.

When all is said and done, I release the energy.

And I smile.

for that is one thing I wrote for this month:  to smile more. :)

New Beginnings, pt.3

It's so easy to say "I'll start over, start something new, change a habit, break a habit, when a New Year rings in."  We've all done that.  Then there are those who say a new year begins with September and back to school -- another good time to think of new beginnings, making new plans, starting fresh.  I'm not sure about the rest of you, but long term goals are too easy to procrastinate over, to put off until tomorrow-- because I have a whole year to "do it" in.  Yes, I've done the same thing.  Many times!!

But what if we break it into chunks?  Smaller, more manageable pieces?? 

When I started my exercise/diet plan (yet again!),  the one thing I did differently, and have continued to do, is to make small goals that are achievable.  I didn't start off and say I'm gonna lose 30 lbs.  I set my goals much smaller.  "This week I'm going to lose 1-2 lbs."   Yeah, some weeks I didn't reach the goal, but I knew that by setting it at only another week, it was manageable.  Maybe that's too simplistic, but it worked for me.  Who wants to spend their entire day off work "cleaning the garage".  Wouldn't you rather just do an hour at a time and do one section?  

Why not do that with our goals as well?  Every month there is a new moon.  Why not use that day to start something new -- only for a month?  Let's say you want to give up chocolate ice cream.  Isn't it easier knowing that its only for one month instead of all year long?  I can do a lot of things for a short period of time.  Why not use that same guideline to work on our hopes and dreams for our lives??

August 17 is the start of the new moon.  I've done some searching around on the web, and have found a few things that might help start down a new path.  If you want to do this with me, I have gathered the following supplies up (they're sitting in a basket on my desk to remind me.... I'm old and sometimes forgetful hehehe)   

A candle to honor the Goddess in her new moon.  A stick of incense.  A small unused notebook and pen.  And four items to honor the elements:  Fire, Water, Earth, Air.   (I'm using a small red votive candle for fire; a small cup of Water, a small bottle of sand for Earth, and a feather for Air.  Your items are symbolic and can be anything  you see fits)

Be thinking about the dreams and wishes of your heart, the things you want to see come into your life, and the things you'd want to change.  Maybe you're hoping for new love.  Maybe a career move.  Health and Happiness.  A stress-free month ahead.  More (or less) family interactions.  It's your wishes, no one will see them.  Start dreaming, and we'll see you back here on Aug 17th :) 
 

 The beginning is the most important part of the work. 

-Plato

New Beginnings, pt 1

It's a warm night here, or maybe just a little more humid than I prefer.  But I can't sleep.  I keep thinking I'm hungry and I should fix a snack.  But technically, I shouldn't be hungry.  And maybe I'm just thinking I need to eat to stop this empty ache I've been feeling. 

Ok, I admit it -- 1 oz of tortilla chips and some shredded cheddar cheese.  Snack time.  Maybe that will help me sleep better.   I tried water.  chocolate.  even a diet soda.  So the chips n cheese had better work.  I know if I dig deep, and admit it to myself, the hunger isn't really hunger.  I'm stuffing my emotions.  *sigh*

A part of it is realizing after talking with a friend and admitting to myself that I'm feeling more closed off than ever, much of it by choice.  Time is passing me by, and I allowed myself to believe in a dream that couldn't happen.  But its time to get over that feeling, to quit lamenting the time wasted, the years that are gone, and start enjoying what's here now. 

In the next few blogs, I'm going to explore "new beginnings".  and am thinking that a "new beginning ritual" on the night of the new moon might be interesting to try.  "Just as we wish for new beginnings as we blow out the candles on our birthday cakes, we can use a ritual on the night of the new moon to create a wonderful new beginning for ourselves that's not only wishful, but fruitful and fulfilling. It can be a clear, beautiful reflection of one's true desire from the heart."

On the next New Moon, sit down with a piece of paper and a pen. Think about the new things you would like to attract in your life. Make sure you really take time to think about it. Please be realistic. There's nothing wrong with thinking big about our lives, but we have to be realistic at the same time. Write down your list of things you'd like to attract into your life. The list might include a new job, new friends, a better attitude towards yourself and others, or a new healthy lifestyle change that fits your personal needs. The sky is the limit with this list.

This will be an interesting experiment, I think. 
What would you put on your list? 
How often do you let yourself think about the wishes of your heart?