New Blog

I have a new devotional blog. I'm very excited about the Bible study I'm doing with bloggy friends near and far by Priscila Shirer entitled Can We Talk, and also an up and coming study I'll be doing with the church's women's group by John McArthur, Twelve Extraordinary Women. I'll be posting some of my thoughts there for the other ladies in the group to read, if they so choose, and for my own personal reflection. I'm so much better able to remember what I've learned if I write it. There might be a whole slue of them (I've got a lot to lean), so I decided to make a separate blog. If you are not doing the study, you wouldn't find them of interest.

Diet/Detox Day ?

Are you wondering what became of our diet/detox? Well, we are still juicing for breakfast and lunch, but I never could re-start the "cleansing" soups. After our dabble back into the world of solid food, the thought of pureed veggie soup just made me want to gag. I tried. I wanted to finish the 21 days, but I couldn't make myself eat that soup. I AM SICK OF SOUP! I considered eliminating the evening "meal," but that would have been coming close to starving myself. Which would not have moved me any closer to my weight loss goals. When I did start eating again, I'd gain it all back--and then some--quickly. We made it 12 days. That's pretty good, right? I'm still drinking berries and veggies, and that's sure to improve my overall health, huh? And best of all, I am totally pumped about fasting for spiritual breakthrough. I know now that I CAN do it! I'm excited to see how the Spirit will work in my heart as I participate in this discipline. After a few days, your thoughts are so much clearer.
I lost 10 pounds, and the master lost 15. As soon as the thought of soup doesn't make me retch, I will try for another 10 pounds. That will bring me within my ideal weight range, and I will be able to put the 100% successful stamp on this venture.

Simple Woman's Daybook

FOR TODAY, Monday, January 19, 2009

Outside My Window...darkness and a slight breeze blowing

I am thinking...that it has been too long since I did "A Simple Woman's" post, and that I have a big day of cleaning tomorrow. I don't know how it happened. The house was in apple pie order on Saturday. How did it go so wrong so fast?

I am thankful for...my new/old job of teaching online. It wasn't what I wanted, but for now, it is the only thing available, and I'm glad to be contributing a even a small amount to the household income.

From the kitchen...I am ashamed to tell you, but honesty is the best policy: fresh baked chocolate-chip cookies. Yes, we've fallen off the diet. That will be another post. We're climbing back on the horse tomorrow, though. Promise.

I am wearing...pink long-sleeve shirt and grey warm-ups.

I am creating...scrapbook pages. Dozens and dozens of scrapbook pages. I've worked all weekend sorting, grouping, and scrapping pictures, some as far back as Rina's homecoming. I've made a resolution to catch up, and once the backlog is cleared, to convert to all digital. I love traditional scrapbooks, but with six kids, there is no way I can keep up. I don't want the kids to be headed to college, and me not having finished their kindergarten graduation. That's where I'm headed, at this rate. I learned from making our birthmom book, digital is SO MUCH faster.

I am going...back to the natural foods store tomorrow to re-stock all of my green drinks and supplements. Letting myself run out of supplies was a major tactical error in the battle of the bulge.

I am reading...Tale of Despereaux (kid's bedtime book). Excellent read.

I am hoping...that a couple in our church will decide to buy this house. We were turned down last week for a home loan and the current owners are getting impatient to sell. While the news was disappointing, it did not take us by surprise. We simply do not have the debt to income ratio to justify (for the bank) a second mortgage--particularly in today's economy. What I dreaded most was having to move again. I also didn't know where we would go, as most rental properties are one or two bedroom. For a family our size, that won't work. The master explained the situation in prayer meeting and put out a plea for folks in the congregation to let us know if they had any information for housing possibilities. Afterwards, a couple approached us and said they would be interested in buying the house and letting us rent from them until we were ready to buy. They came on Saturday to look it over. The husband was nervous about some foundation issues, though, so I don't know if they will make an offer or not. Please hope with me that they do.

I am hearing...Cara finishing her bottle. The dryer tumbling.

One of my favorite things...chocolate-chip cookies. My body didn't need them, but my taste-buds sure enjoyed them.

Around the house...heaps of laundry. General disorder. Sleeping children. And piss ants. Sorry, but I don't know their scientific name. I grew up calling them piss ants. They are the teeny, tiny black ants, and they have invaded en masse. As soon as I track one entry and spray it with insecticide, I find them infiltrating another area of the house. The kids love to alert me to their presence because they get to say the word "piss" without getting in trouble.

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week...Teaching online, Cara's physical therapy, and gallons of vegetable juice.

Here is picture thought I am sharing...Alas, I'm blogging on my new computer, and I have zero picture files.

To enjoy other Simple Women visit http://www.thesimplewomansdaybook.blogspot.com/

They Get It

If the concept is so simple that an eight year old can explain it to a six year old, why can't the rest of the world understand? The following is a conversation I had the privilege of overhearing between Abby and our next door neighbor B:

Setting-Abby, Randy, and B are gathered around Cara's bouncy seat, taking turns making her smile. After a few giggles...
B: Is she your sister?
Abby: Yes
B: But I thought your mom said she didn't come out of her belly?
Abby: She didn't.
B: Then how is she your sister?
Abby: We adopted her, so she is my sister.
B:Oh, o.k.

Nicknames

A new blog friend, Faith, is hosting a give away. To enter, you must blog about your family pet names. I think I'm actually posting after the deadline, but maybe she will show grace. I've blogged in the past about my father's penchant for nicknames, so I will focus on my kids.
K-widely addressed as 'Bubba' by his siblings. His name is a little tricky for toddler tongues, and Abby deemed it too difficult to even attempt. Abby's motto for life is, "Why trouble yourself?" 'Bubba' he became and I'm afraid he will forever remain. Whenever he is rescuing them from certain destruction [aka Ethyl (we'll get to her later)], they refer to him as 'Super Bubba.' As in, "Super Bubba, saves the day again!" Also, all my kids have F names, K's is 'Frick.'
Abigail or Abby- 'Abs-a-rooski,' 'Abera-ka-dabera,' Her super-hero name is 'Amazing Abby,' and her F name is 'Frak.'
Ian- 'Ian Bian,' 'Incredible Ian, 'Mansie' (pronounced with an /a/ as the vowel in 'caught'), 'Fester'
Marina-'Little Russian Senorita' (because she loves hot sauce, and when we brought her home, she could eat a man-size plate of enchiladas),'Ruthie Robot' (long, long story on this one. Requires a separate post), 'Marvelous Marina,' 'Fiona'
Randy-'Rando Calrecian' (We're Star Wars fans, can you tell?), 'Randy La Rue' (on account of his being our only true coonie baby, with, "a fine French nose.") He is too little to save any younger siblings, so has not been christened with his super-hero title. 'Farcus.'
Cara- 'Cara-Beara,' now this is a crazy one, and I can't even tell you where it came from, but I said it one day, and it just fit her.....wait for it......'Poodles N' Snoodles' And finally, 'Fatima of the Seven Screams.' (You'd have to be a Ray Stevens fan to get that. Fatima only appears when Cara gets off schedule. See post below.)
Me-the master and I generally call each other 'babe' face to face. He introduces me to other people as 'Jessy' or 'Jess.' I have to remind him that is not my name. He said his vows to 'Jessica K______' Never calls me 'Jessica' unless he is very, very angry with me. Lastly--and this is not a nickname for me, this is the name of my alter ego, who has on occasion taken possession of my body--Ethyl. In religious contexts, she is referred to as 'Sister Ethyl.'
J-you know him as 'the master' (not capitalized). This name is only used in blogland. When he reminds me of my dad, he is 'Donald Richard' and when he behaves entirely too much like a S______, he is referred to as 'Aunt Betty.' His alter ego is named 'Herb' or 'Pastor Herb.' Herb is married to Ethyl and together they have six kids: Frik, Frak, Fester, Fiona, Farcus and Fatima. But they are not nice people, you don't want to meet them.

Here's hoping I win the Starbuck's card. Someday--far, far in the future--I may get to use it!

Day Eight

We are just over one third of the way through this diet. I have lost 9 pounds, and the master is holding at 11 1/2 pounds. I'm starting to wonder if this is any cheaper than W*ight W*tchers, or not. Fresh berries and veggies are EXPENSIVE. So are the supplements and teas. And we consume them like crazy. It may come to this: our bulge or our budget?
Tami commented that by now, she would be screaming for her chocolate. I thought I would be that way, but this diet is different. I set my mind to do this diet or die trying, all the while certain I would be bed ridden by day 2. For, when it comes right down to it, we are actually participating in a kind of fast--something I never thought I could do. I am a person who LOVES food, and I felt I couldn't do without it. Of course, as humans, I realize we can't live without nourishment over time, but I thought I couldn't go a day--a meal--without eating. I got cranky, had headaches, if lunch was so much as an hour late. Long ago, I self-diagnosed myself as hypoglycemic, and I used that (flimsy) excuse for not fasting for spiritual reasons. Over the past week, I've discovered what I really am is addicted. I am addicted to food. "Hello, my name is Jessica S_____, and I'm a foodaholic." This is both a humbling and liberating experience. For the first time in my adult life, food has no hold over me. W*ight W*tchers preached this, but I understand now that I never Incorporated the idea into my belief system: food is fuel. We make it to be so many other things--comfort, entertainment, pleasure, tradition, habit, vice, love, etc.--but it is only fuel. And in reality, our bodies need very little of it.
Update of strange phenomenon: This detox is supposed to bring on strong emotions. "As your body sheds toxins it will also release negative feelings from your system." But again, I didn't look for that to happen. Sounded like a bunch of new age hocus-pocus to me. However, I must report an emotional tsunami, but not, thankfully, during waking hours. I awoke twice this week from dreams literally sobbing, my pillow soaking wet from tears. This has only happened to me once or twice in adulthood and only when I'm pregnant. (I'm not, by the way. Snip, snip, doctor took care of that.) Another night, I woke from a dream in a red-hot, completely non-sensical RAGE. Weird stuff.

Day 6 and7

This diet is different than anything I've done before. Strange, but I don't feel like eating. I was able to prepare a meal for the kids and not taste a bite or desire to. Even when I was whole-hog W*ight W*tchers, I couldn't resist the tempation of a tiny nibble.
I didn't weigh today, but yesterday I had not lost any. I tried on my "skinny jeans" this morning and they are still tight. I'm hoping they will be lose by the time we're done.