I know February is heart health month.  Lately there has been a lot of information out there about how different women’s symptoms of a heart attack are different from men’s.  The thing that has popped into my head is why has our risk increased so much and is so much more prevalent.  I believe it has to do with women in the workforce.  When women go out into the workforce their stressload increases, also they tend to eat out more and if not eating out more they are certainly relying on more convenience foods, and of course there is the exercise issue.  This not only increases their risk but also that of their families.  Next we’ll be hearing about how children are having heart attacks.  Last year at my physical I had a little surprise as my Reactive C protein test came back high.  At first I didn’t do much to reduce it.  Doctor said to cut out all soda, processed food, and of course get more exercise.  When retested there was not much difference.  After that I did some research and because of that I have cut out soda (although I have brought it back occasionally-as my stress has gone up this last month), I have lost the weight that I put back on after losing it 4 years ago.  It is not much, but enough to put me in that overweight catergory. I am now in a healthy BMI range, but would like to lose a little more, but it is a really slow process as I am a stress and boredom eater.  I will have my yearly exam in April so I have a few more months to get back on track, get off the soda again and processed foods.  I’m looking forward to quitting my job and getting back to a simpler life.  I plan to use a lot more of my backyard for a garden this year-maybe even taking out the grass.  Grass is nice to look at, but it is a lot of work for little reward.  Gardens are green and nice to look at and the have the added benefit of providing you with nutritious fresh food.  I will be getting ready to welcome my first grandchild into this world.  I loved being able to make clothes for my children when they were small and look forward to doing it for the grandchild (once we find out if it is a he or she).  I will be couponing more to help with the decreased income.  I have renewed my gym membership (last week and have not been yet-will need to put that on my schedule) as the weather out here has been a bit hit or miss.  I love walking out doors, but the weather needs to be right to do it comfortably.  I hate having to take the time to drive to and from the gym but it is nice to have the variety of things to do there without caring what the weather is like.

What a great day for doing a puzzle, rainy and don’t have anywhere to go or anything to do.  I love cartoon type puzzles that have a lot of things going on.  How do you do start?  I have to find the edge pieces first.  There are many methods to doing this.  Do you go through each piece one by one? Do you spread them all out?  Or do you search through them in the box? I search through the box.  Once it gets to where I’m not finding many and I have all the corners I sift through them and count how many times I search and don’t find any pieces.  If I find one I start the count over again.  I just did one and have one piece missing from the edge.  What do you do now?  Do you start the puzzle or search for the missing piece?  I usually start the puzzle.  Isn’t it funny that when you are busy looking for certain pieces you find other pieces just continue to pop up so I start making piles for them to do when I get through with my current section.  I wish I could do a puzzle without looking at the cover, but I usually end up looking.  I usually do 500 pieces.  The one I am doing now is 750, not a big puzzle so the pieces are small.  Don’t have the time and patience to do 1000 or more pieces.  Will occasionally do a 350 if I like the puzzle and don’t have a lot of time (can usually do it in a day or so).  What do you do what you have a big area of sky and it all looks the same?  I lay the pieces out and look at the edges in the puzzle and try to find the match from the ones on the table.

Boy if feels good to get things done that I have put off.  But why do I put them off and procrastinate in the first place?  Would it not have the satisfaction that I get when I finally tackle these tough problems?  I could use some encouragement in this area.  Why do I put off things that I know I need to do, aren’t really that hard but require me to talk to others.  Do I fear that they will reject me, make fun of me, or not do what I need them to do?  I hate calling because I fear it will take a long time and lots of explanation on my part.  I hate leaving messages on answering machines because I never know if the person got the message because they never get back to me so I don’t call knowing that I may have to leave a message.  Them when finally do call I have to also apologize for being late.  I’ve also come to not like testing so much for the same reason.  And of course sometimes when you think you have the problem fixed and you don’t get the name of the person you talked to and have to call back and explain the whole situation again.  I need a step by step manual with lines for pertinent information so I have a trail.  Am I so independent that I hate having to go to someone else to solve a problem?

Moved into our house in spring 2004 and have had some sort of garden ever since.  Last year was probably my worst.  I got it started late (May-which is late for CA).  I also thought that since I have put amendments into the soil for the last few years that I didn’t need to do it this year.  Big mistake!  I went form 8 foot tomato plants the years before to about 2 feet this year.  Although my cherry tomatoes really took over spreading like wildfire, I had no time to tend to them so most just rotted on the vine.  Luckily I found a place where I can take my excess produce to be given to seniors and low income people.  Sometimes my family just doesn’t get the whole fresh veggies thing.  We have a tangelo tree, but we don’t like them because they are sour, and a lemon tree, which produces a lot.  So last week we picked 3 boxes of oranges and 1 box of lemons and took it to the center to be distributed.  Not sure of what I want to plant this year, but at least I know my excess produce won’t be wasted (I can’t just dump it on someone who may not want it either).  I need to get in there and get the weeds out this month (did it once last month, but the rains helped them grow agian).  I know I will do tomatoes again, and zucchini (have a great recipe for chocolate zucchini bread), have done corn, beans (although they usually don’t do very good-a critter got them one year and the other year I’d get a couple each week, which was not enough for the familiy).  Did watermelon and canatelope (good, but take up a lot of room).  Whatever I do I am looking forward to it.  Am actually thinking of taking out the small patches of grass so I can plant more things (maybe a whole lot of beans).  Just not sure if I will have the time so soon, still going through the transition of quitting.  Sunflowers and pumpkins are always fun to do, did it with my son one year to enter into the fair.  Corn is good too, olthough it is more prone to the hornworms.  Have learned alot about plants by teaching 7th grade general science.  I’d also like to plant some plants to get attrack some butterflies.  Have a bird bath and it is fun to watch the birds in it.  I am also excited because I have just ordered an outdoor time-lapse camera to put in the garden so I can make videos of the plants as they grow-sometimes they seem to grow so fast if I just had the patients to sit there and watch them.  Can’t promise more garden posts, but will do my best.

I’ve been doing the accounting at the church for the last 10 years.  I did have about a year off when I was planning on moving to Colorado.  Well that never happened so I took my job back.  Have been doing it in only 1 or 2 days a week.  With the church renovation that morphed into 3.5 days.  So this summer I was busy with the renovation and did not spend a lot of time in my garden and found I really missed it.  So I was already thinking about either taking the summer off or just doing the bare minimun ammount of time in the office, when we found out about becoming grandparents.  So as I let this sink in it just solidified my choice to take the summer off and possible quit altogether.  Even if my SIL had not got orders to San Diego (which I also know can be change) I have made up my mind that it is time to let the job go.  If I don’t do it now I may be stuck here forever.  I do enjoy what I do, but as the church grows I aslo question if I am the best person for the job as I really have no training and sometimes question if I am doing things the right way.  Well my decision came at the same time that the pastor was looking for someone to do more of his administrative duties sohe can focus on pastoring.  So along came pastors sister-in-law to help as she has worked in lots of offices.  Well it has not been a smooth transition so far.  We have gone from a very relaxed-it doesn’t matter how you get the job done as long as it gets done kind of atmoshere to having to be in the office certain hours and logging what we do.  I’ve found that I am very good at seeing problems and solving them without much supervision.  Now I am being told we should change the way we do things and I don;t see there is a problem here to fix.  But the good news is that I have had more face time with the pastor this last week and got out some issues that have been there for a while, but I have not pushed with him becasue he is so busy.  But I did feel that because I do my job well without supervision that he felt it was OK to break my appointments with him for others who were more needy of his time.  He was also the one who suggested me writing again as I can express myself better on paper.  I have always been like that because I do tend to get emotional.  When I was a teen I would write letters to my dad when I was having difficulties with him and it helped our relationship.  So anyhow I went from quitting or cutting back for the summer to out and out wuitting.   And guess what I really feel good about my decision.  It’s not like I won’t still be there and still be needed, just I won’t be on call all the time like I feel I am sometimes now.  I hope to add a class or two to my teaching next year, but that is somehting I just started doing last year and am enjoying it as I get to know the course material.  I know this has morphed into so many topics in one, but everything is so entertwined nowadays.  So now to plan my garden for the year….And my plans to spoil my grandchild…

Well, the big project finally happened.  I work for/belong to a church that had to close the school and sell those buildings and land due to finance problems (long time problems from before I came there).  Truely miss the school.  Money from sale was to go to current church building (over 50 years old).  Years and years of planning (and spending a ton of money for architects and planners that we ended up firing because after 5 years we still were not anywhere near construction) and finally we got the sanctuary renevated.  Now it seems like the rest of the building is falling down around us (dealing with roof leak issues right now).  So glad the big project is finally done.  Lots of headaches and hassles, lots of extra time.  This is why I will never remodel the house while I live in it.  It always takes longer than expected, is not hassle than expected, and of course costs more than expected.  I can do without a diashwasher (actually have two of them right now, they just have to be reminded from time to time).  And of course I’d love a bigger bathroom with a garden spa tub, a steam shower, a closet large enough for our clothes.  At least I did not have to be in the middle of the constrution zone (offices are upstairs).

OK, so SIL found out he was going to be stationed in San Diego (2-4 hour drive from us, depending on traffic).  But of course there are some conditions.  He first has to go to welding school for 3 months in Connecticut.  Not bad news so far, but he can’t take his wife, not so good news.  So they are planning to drive across the country instead of flying.  At first they thought they would have to wait until after his welding school.  So they started planning the trip out here and trying to find out about housing in San Diego.  Well, long story short, they can’t come out until he is out of welding school (so June).  First thing they find out is military won’t let her fly in 3rd trimester (she will be 29 weeks by then), but then they find out it is OK for her to drive.  So we had a few days where everyone was concerned about them coming out here.  For a couple of days I was very excited as they would have been out here by mid-Feb.  She still has the option to come out here and then have him come when he finishes school.  But they will have to pay for that on their own (she won’t have orders) and won’t get housing, but that wouldn’t bother me as we would have her stay with us.  But I respect their decision as long as they know we have on open ticket and room for her if she gets too lonely out there.  Luckily we have computers and cell phones so are keeping in touch.  I am excited, but also know that the Navy could change their minds in 4 months (of course, I pray they won’t).  I was in the Air Force myself for 3 years and married to the Air Force for 12 years.  Coming back from overseas we had orders to Las Vegas (wasn’t too thrilled with that except it was closer to family), only to have them change it to Florida (had a great time their, but agian not very close to family).

Well I knew it was bound to happen.  When my daughter told me they were trying, I put in the request to try fast as I teach so would like to be able to be there and spend time with them during the summer.  Well they got busy and we go tthe news early in December that we would be grandparents by the end of August (20th is the due date).  At first I said I was too young and wanted to be called “Nana”-which is close to the nickname my dad has for me “Nanner”.  But now I have fully embraced my being a young grandma so I can really enjoy the grandkid(s) and spoil them.  Of course the difficulty is that SIL is in the Navy and they have been in South Carolina since they got married in August 2008.  So my plan was to at least spend August with them whereever they were going to be.  Well we got exciting news a couple of weeks ago.  With his school ending Jan 29th, he got word of his next duty station.  They will be in San Diego, yay yay yay yay!!!!!  Can you tell I am excited?  This is such good news.  I had my first two kids overseas and therefore did not have any support from parents (except for care packages).  So I am thrilled to be able to support her when she has her first baby (it is such a shock to your life-in a good sleepless way).  Of course life doesn’t always go the way you think it is going.  The rest of the story……Military???

Don’t know why I stopped but was encouraged by my pastor to start again.  Going through some life transitions so I suppose it will be good to vent here where noone I know ventures.  I like to be able to vent without hurting any feelings.  Like I said lots of transitions, most are good, but getting to the end point for some will be a bit painful.  Will do seperate posts for each event.  Overall very excited for what is happening this year.  In a nutshell, quitting 1 job, probably doing more for other job, becoming a grandma (really excited for that one).  Won’t promise that I will blog everday, I can’t even promise that I will floss every day, but I am getting a lot better with the flossing so who knows?  So stay tuned for blogs for all the events happening this year.

Hey, just finished my half marathon today.  Lately I have been having to really talk myself into doing it every time I go for a run.  I don’t think I was quite prepared, but everyone on the team was so encouraging.  I did it within my time frame.  I wanted to do it between 3 hrs and 3 1/2 hrs.  I did 3:09:36.  Yay!!  I did end up with some pain behind my left knee and also on top of my left foot.  From reading up on it (gotta love the internet), I think I have a stress fracture to my second metatarsal.  Will go to the doctor tomorrow if it is still tender.  Don’t know what the behind the knee pain is yet, will research that later.  I did go out nice and slow with a couple of ladies I knew would be really slow.  Have learned who to avoid when they say they will be going slow, their slow for me is still very fast.  Left my friends and started running by myself at around mile 7.  Am a bit sore now, but hopefully will feel better tomorrow.  Need to be up and walking by Tuesday as I have work.  Am looking forward to properly preparing for the next half.  Of course I may have to do this one next year to see how much I’ve progressed.  Weather turned out to be beautiful although it did start out a bit chilly so I wore my leggings under my shorts.  Got up about 1:45 this morning and could not get back to sleep.  Slept a little this afternoon, but woke up with a very dry mouth.