A list to live by:

I found this list in a newsletter and really wanted to share. I have a hard time with fasting in general but this gives focus to the word and emphasizes fasting as more than just abstaining from but also as doing!

Fast from criticism ... Feast on praise!

Fast from self pity ... Feast on joy!

Fast from ill-temper ... Feast on Peace!

Fast from resentment ... Feast on contentment!

Fast from jealousy ... Feast on Love!

Fast from pride ... Feast on humilty!

Fast from selfishness ... Feast on service!

Fast from fear ... Feast on Faith!

- arthur Lichtenburg

thoughts on reading

I've taken no end of grief about my "reading style". I am prone to 'cheating' as it were. That is reading the end of the book before I actually get there! There are lots of reasons why I do this but I don't quite understand why this horrifies everyone so. Sometimes I just like to be in control, rather than having the book be in control. (if that makes any sense at all) Sometimes I don't want to be surprised. Sometimes I don't want to invest too much in a character who turns out not to be very nice (or dies or whatever) Sometimes I just like to read 'out of the box' and just be different. And then there's times when I just don't really have time to read a book in the normal fashion: i.e. front to back soI speed things up a bit. One thing I know when it comes to reading, I get to do it any old way I want to. After all, It's me who's affected. Not anyone else. So the other day I discovered this Readers Bill of Rights and I thought I'd share some of them with you (and especially with those who think I have a wrong reading habit!):

1.You have the right to never apologize for your reading tastes.

2. You have the right to read anywhere you want..in the bathtub, in the car, in the grocery store,under the porch, or while walking the dog.

3. You have the right to carry books in baggage at all times.

4. You have the right to read the good parts out loud to your nearest and dearest.

5. You have the right to read as many books as you want at the same time.

6. You have the right to ignore the critics at the New York Review of books.

7. More importantly, you have the right to ignore critics in your immediate family.

8. You have the right to refuse to read any book anyone else picks out for you.(even if it's

a birthday present.

9. You have the right to skip all the boring parts.

10. You have the right to read the last chapter first.

11. You have the right to read the last chapter first and then put the book back on the

shelf.

12. You have the right to read any book where you don't like the picture of the author.

Amen.

SUPER EATING BOWL

Off to the super bowl of eating party!! I lose interest in the game quickly. (though I guess I would declare my intention to cheer for the BEARS!) Eating fills the void. i will pay for it later though. Extra time at the gym. It's fun to be with friends anyway. We have great "fellowship" around the table.

Movies

We usually don't go to movies unless something comes highly recommended... Or, we really don't have anything else going on and it sounds like it's a good idea. Last night's movie idea was motivated partly by the thought of supper. We like movie popcorn for supper on occasion. Well, the popcorn was great. The movie.. definitely not. In fact, after thinking about it overnight I think I can say this was one of the worst ones I've seen in awhile. Granted, it made me laugh in several spots but it got its laughs by being wholly outside boundaries. (I really didn't want to laugh) And this was a PG13 movie. No wonder kids know so much about sex. This was blatant! To be un attached meant unhappiness. No sex? Argh, a disaster. "Because I said so" meant Mom (Diane Keaton) was saying to her daughter (Mandy Moore) have sex sex and more sex and only then will you be happy. And the daughter's solution to her dilemma of an 'unhappy' life was to sleep with two guys in order to figure out who would be best. At least (if there was such a thing here) there was no nudity. So there you have it, everyone, the prude has spoken! But you don't have to take my word for it, Here's what some reviewers say: But even Mandy wasn’t enough to make Because I Said So watch-able. Because I Said So should be avoided at all costs.
"Because I said so" is billed as a romantic comedy. In my opinion it was neither. But it is a commentary on our society on how obssesed we are with sex."
Man, why didn't I check out the reviews first.

Diet and exercise...oh yeah, and HDL, waist size, and 10,000 steps a day

So, should I give up or keep on going. Everyday "they" keep adding new things to my weight loss program. Today I hear that keeping healthy is indeed diet and exercise but I also have to have a waist size that's smaller than 40"...oh, wait maybe that was 20"; an HDL score of 50 or higher (that's the good cholesterol I'm thinking) and to be sure I walk at least 10,000 steps. Every single day. (the equivalent of 5 miles) I got out my three step counters and wore them all. Can't be too careful about these things. At the end of the day, They all came up with different numbers none of which totalled 10,000. I'm thinking I can add them all together and I'll get the right number. (I never was very good at math) Regardless, my problem seems to be .. are you all ready for this?... aging! I don't see so good; my husband swears I don't hear him anymore; my arm doesn't work right; I snap crackle and pop in places that no cereal has ever been before. My father in law used to Praise the Lord every single day that he could get up out of bed and enjoy whatever the day offered. And he was crippled so bad he'd been on disability for ten years by the time I knew him. I'm thinking that's the route I'll go. Praise the Lord for each day that I feel well enough to get up and meet the day. Even the young physical therapist that I had after my surgery reminded me that doctors can only do so much. A lot of what they do is managing the aging process. They can't stop it! Imagine that!

What diet?

Well, if one could find something good about the flu it has to be this: I dropped 5 pounds overnight! Zowie! Now with all that hard work behind me I just have to keep it off! How hard will that be if I keep eating cupcakes and chocolate mocha lattes. I won't be writing a diet book with this as my main focus, however. I wouldn't recommend this to anyone. I know bulimics do it. So do wrestlers on occasion. They rank right up there with my condition at the time-SICK! Well on to the next 5 pounds. I'll probably have to do it the old fashioned way. Diet and exercise. I'm on to the fruit diet for the moment. Grapefruit (we have a bunch from Az) and apples. (they taste great with peanut butter) Just keep me away from the chocolate.

Change of plans

I had my whole week set out. Well, I usually have a general idea of what's going to happen. But much like My mother-in-law used to say "We plan...God unplans". Yup. It's true. I went to work yesterday knowing with pretty good certainty that I really shouldn't. But to justify myself I did, after all, have my flu shot this fall. I thought that might mean I wouldn't actually GET the flu. But here I am at work and I could only see if I squeezed my eyes shut. I could only sit if I scrunched up. Banging my head on my desk brought mild relief to the headache that was raging. Yup. I shouln't have even been there. I suceeded in exposing lots of people to the FLU! At least I went home by 10 and stayed. Through the day I alternately wished for unconciousness and death. I'll spare you the gory details. Everyone can imagine them. Needless to say, it's Not a great way to spend a day at home. You can't accomplish anything. Even this morning as I write this I feel the last tendrils of it clinging to me. I want to eat. But yet not. I need to drink, but I'm afraid to. I still feel the headache clinging behind my eyes. Ugh. But I don't want to miss any work. After all..They need me. (HA!) Well, here's hoping that I endured it for everyone. No one else needs to suffer through this too.