It’s been a while

I have tried logging in and posting but my blog wasn’t there. Today I tried again and here it is. Life has been interesting. I had a Total Knee Replacement (TKR) in January 2024 - I’m sure I posted about it but I don’t see it. This September I will complete 5 years with the city of Hurst. I’m still in the Keller 3rd Ward and love it. I do miss living in CA - specifically because of the heat & humidity and lack of nearby coastline. I’ve gone completely natural with my hair. 

Eat the Frog Journey

3/28/22 First outdoor workout

8/27/23 Final Session

In January 2021 my friend Tonda started sharing with me information about a new gym her friends were opening. I knew I needed to loose the extra weight I gained during Covid. I was at my heaviest ever in my life. Tonda is one of the individuals who I have known since I moved here in 2018, and is one of the kindest individuals I have met, so if she knew Mike and Heidi they had to be good people too and I had to go see what this Eat the Frog was all about. 

January 2022 Signed Up

Saturday, January 22nd or 29th was the first open house at the gym and Tonda and I were going to meet there in the morning. The day came and Tonda needed to go early in the morning  and I was left to go on my own. I decided I would go there on my way to Trader Joe's and as I started driving there, I chickened out. I rationalized that I would go to Trader Joe's, then home to put my groceries away. If it was meant to be they would still be there when I was done. Clearly I was planning to clear my pantry clean it and put my 3 bags of groceries away all morning. The entire time at Trader Joe's, I kept debating why I should or shouldn't go and that my situation was not going to change if I did not go. On my way home I saw the tent, balloons, signs and thought it looks nice I should stop but hesitated and kept driving. As I got to to Rufe Snow I found myself turning around and parking. I sat in my car and thought you can't do this -you are so out of shape, this place is not for you - which then turned into that is why you need to check it out and see if it works. I was nervous as I walked up to the table, I was quickly greeted by Carrie and we talked - her friendliness, encouraging words and sharing with me that the gym would be available 24 hours a day sealed the deal and I handed over my credit card. Below are a few highlights of my time at Eat the Frog!

In the beginning 

There were delays in the opening but there were updates in our VIP group. Eventually the first fit camp outdoors started and I wanted to walk to my car after 5 minutes and give up. The inner struggle was real but I also couldn't figure out how to get to my car without being seen and realized that would be more embarrasing then enduring to the end. When the doors officially oppened, I once again was intimidated but walked through them. My first coached workout with Coach Kayla kicked my butt and I was embarrased, I thought I would solve that by jut attending virtual sessions and when I tried to unlock the door it did not work. I sent a text message not expecting a response but within seconds Robyn answered and helped me get in. In the beginning the only person judging me was myself, everyone there was supportive and kind.

50th workout 12/24/22

As I started working out I thought I would try every other day as my knees were aching. As time went by I eventually started working out 4 or 5 days a week I think 6 times a week with a couple of double days were done. I had a goal to reach my 50th workout by 11/14/22 just in time to leave for Thanksgiving in CA and share with my family that I was getting back to being healthy and physically active. However, my world was turned upside down when my nephew called me the morning of 11/2/23 to let me know his dad, my brother, had passed away. I booked a flight, stayed at work to organize my calendar, and finally headed home to pack in a daze. I realized I had a workout scheduled that night and sessions scheduled for the whole month. I knew I didn't have time to cancel all my sessions so I stopped by and let Martina know I would try to cancel all my sessions. She asked if I was ok and I shared with her about my brothers unexpected passing. Without hesitation she told me not to worry and she would take care of everything and gave me a hug. Carrie heard what was happening and she too gave me a hug and asked me to let them know if I needed anything. I went back home to CA and ended up being there all of November. I missed the workouts, the coaches, and all the other frogsquad members. When I returned in December, I came back with a sprained wrist and couldn't workout so I modified to just riding e a bike for each session. That is how I accomplished my first milestone of 50th workout on Christmas Eve morning. 

100th on 3/15/23

By this time my friend Rachel had joined and it was fun having a  friend be a part of the Frog Squad. Saturday mornings were fun not only because it was time to spend with Rachel but as a bonus we had Coach Kayla. I learned my friend Rachel was a beast at the gym. I mean I knew she was strong but this strenght was a new level. I sometimes rowed by the Olympian aka Bailey. It was what helpful because the rower sounded amazing and  when I wanted to slow down or not push myself, I remembered I wanted to be half as good as the Olympian! Then there was Superman 1 and 2 aka Markie Mark and Matt P. It was fun to watch them workout and push each other. I also learned I wanted to use rowers 2 or 4 because rower 3 was Hayden's rower. She never tole me, I just knew and I liked rower 4 the most. She reminded me of when I was young and starting life  as an adult. It took me a while to figure out Superman 2 was her dad and they were Rockin Robins family. I then met Landon and then Mason and quickly realized that if Keller ever has a family of the year I am nominating the Pitre family. I had a cheering squad. Dora, Tamara, Crystal, Myra and Chris. Chris was the one who challenged me to double up to reach my 100th milestone workout. Then there was the singing duo that also happened to be engaged - Joelle and Daniel. Low by Flo-Rida was playing and I was singing along in my head or maybe very softly, when suddenly I heard singing and though be quiet you are singing out loud only to realize it was not my voice and I looked around and we smiled at each other as we were singing. When Chris, one moved, AZ joined and they became part of my cheer squad - aka Jennifer and Bill. There was also Papa K aka Keith and his wife Lisa. It was fun to hear Keith tell us how Lisa forced him to do the rower, or keep working and not retire as he wanted. There are so many more people who as I worked out and saw their progress inspired me and others, we encouraged with kind words, fist bumps, high fives and also celebrated milestones occuring outside of those walls - becoming granparents or newlyweds. 

150th workout on July 1, 2023

In April I was finding my split time anywhere from 2:15 to 2:45 it may not seem like the best but it was progress from the 3:00 - 3:40 I started at. I also hit over 500 calories in one session. I was excited and looking forward to reach new personal records. While consistently reaching a  2:15 in a cardio workout and trying to get to 2:10 I felt some pain on my left knee - but I did see 2:09 for a few seconds. However, the pain on my knee progressed and slowed me down from reaching my next milestone  by mid May. During this time the coaches once again had to help me modify some things and at times I just found myself riding the bike. July 1, 2023 was the day I reached my 150th workout - I was the 18th person to reach it. Yes, I counted. I began to plan my workouts to 200 and hoped to reach it by mid August. Unfotunately, I only managed to get to 165 on Sunday, August 27th. I had planned to do the 9:30 Cardio class on Sunday but was waitlisted as #5; I did not think I would make it so I did the 8:10 session. When I was about to walk out Heidi asked me where I was going as I had a session. So I doubled up for the last time. That morning was bittersweet as I ended my sessions withthe coach that I started with the Singing Dancing Queen - Kayla. The first session had a bonus of seeing a Beautiful Mind - Tylyn (often tell myself 'It's a beautiful day for a beautiful mindset") and while doing the final session the coach with the mean voice - aka Amanda walked in to cheer us on. By the way did anyone ever hear her mean voice?

8/23 celebrating milestones

If you made it this far, you now know why Eat the Frog means so much to me, and why it was my happy place. I hope if you were part of the ETF journey you know you probably impacted someone there in a positive way. So wherever you may go just keep shining! I once told Coach Carrie during a session "There is nowhere I would rather be then here with y'all!" So it is only appropriate that I close with a quote from one of my favorite movies: "How lucky I am to have found something that saying goodbye to is so damned awful."

Reminiscing Today

 It has been a while since I blogged anything and I have had some great ideas but have not taken the time to write them here, but here I am so enjoy. 

This morning on my 8 mile commute to work, I saw a US Foodservice truck twice. I immediately went back to Rykoff Secton in La Mirada where I was on a two week temp assignment to create one personnel file with original documents out of several files. It was nothing too challenging and I was trying to figure out for the 4th, 5th or 8th time what I was going to declare as my major when I went back to college for the 4th, 5th or 8th time. 

That temp assignment turned into a year as I helped the VP of HR with a project and my interest in human resources grew. Once I decided that was my career path I remember calling CSU Fullerton to see if they had it as a major and they did. That VP of HR was also my boss for several years in three different companies. So grateful that Susan needed help, asked me a question, I was able to help her, and she helped me find my path.

2021 February Actually 2022 June 5

If I could fix the Title it would be 2021 February. as it is Sunday, June 5, 2022. I am surprised that I have not blogged in over a year but then I am not. Why well, I was so busy commuting and working long days from 7/2020 - 9/2021 that I had no energy for anything. My meal prep ended and I just slept, ate what I could buy (had to keep the economy going was my rationale for ordering take out) and drove to and from work. 

I worked for a nutritional supplement company in Allen, TX. It is family owned and it was quite interesting. In the beginning, I did feel like I had made a bad choice in leaving the hospital in Carrolton. However, I got my groove and I enjoyed it and the owners and employees made it worth it. 

However, an opportunity to apply for a position 7 miles from my home came up and I did apply on the last day. I interviewed and I wanted it. I was offered the job but I would have had to leave when by boss was on vacation and I couldn't see myself doing that and declined. Then in September I resigned and gave a five week notice. I started looking and was getting discouraged finding my replacement and my future job. When out of nowhere I was called with a job offer from my current employer. God is good. I accepted and well I have no regrets. I miss the people at my old job but I don't miss the commute. I now have a 15 - 20 minute commute to and from work. I only fill my gas tank on payday Thursday and usually my tank is half full. 

I will update my blog with some more posts but that is a quick update on what is happening with me. Oh yeah and somoeone else has the same blog name - booo.

Future Topics:

• Moved
• Seminary
• Water Tower
• Thanksgiving in CA
• Christmas Capital of Texas 2021
• Axe Throwing
• New Kids On The Block

2021 January

So this was such a bleak start to the year. I was not excited as I had nothing to look forward to, no trips, no plans, just a lot of work at work and nothing else. However, I knew I had to dig myself out of the sadness I was feeling. I wanted to be positive and hopeful in my posts in IG so that I could maybe have that hope and happiness. 

I do not want to get political but I just couldn't fly out to CA and see my family and it has been 2.5 years since I have seen my family with the exception of my niece Laura. I hadn't stopped living but life is a lot different then what we have ever known before. 

I have to let you know that I did not become a millionaire because I forgot to buy my winning ticket for the mega million. However, I did start following Maria Shriver on IG as I found her posts inspiring. Also I reflected on great memories of things I have done in my life and have gratitude for them. For example, I love Tommy Lasorda even though he is a Dodger man, and one memory I treasure about him is when my brother Ken and I went to the PBR and saw him as he was sitting in our section but much closer to the bulls!

So here you go January was not that exciting - I was sad for what or who I was missing but also grateful. 

Hello 2021

I have had different adventures this year and thought I can't wait to blog about it! Then I didn't. So what did it take for me to finally get here? Having a nasty cold and being home with a cold and sick of being home but also enjoying the chill time. So here is a recap of the year and I will blog in detail for each month what I can remember. 

January - I was mainly reflecting how I couldn't believe we still had all these COVID restrictions and wondering was life going to get to normal anytime soon. Nothing too exciting that month. Oh wait I was excited about the release of the collagen from my health and wellness side gig. 

February - As if COVID was not enough we suddenly had a snow storm in Keller, TX. The weather is crazy in TX and we knew we had a cold front coming up and I better just blog about it than write about it here. 

March - Another birthday and mask mandate was a birthday gift for me that year. I also received my 2nd COVID shot. Oh and I moved....and really injured my knee, or did I? 

April - Nothing too exciting other than baseball season started and guess who was lucky enough to go to an Angels game!!! I also had a moment of gratitude and feeling like a successful grown up. 

May - I will think of what adventure happened that month in between the four posts I have to do. 

June - JOY through social media!!!

So here we go!!!

This year has been a waste -

A few weeks ago someone said this to me and after a few seconds I responded - you know let me tell you why I do not want to think of it as a wasted year. I have learned a lot of what I can and can't do and reflected on what matters. I surprised the individual and myself for just speaking up. So now you get to read why I said that. 

I remember March 24, was the last night Tarrant County went under stay at home orders. I was and still am so grateful for my friends Rachel and Darcy for ensuring I had a fun birthday celebration. 

I also remember ordering some Angels masks online in early April and receiving a notice that they would not be available until mid July. I did not believe we would need masks in July since this couldn't really last that long so I promptly called and cancelled my order. Who knew we would still be wearing masks - nine months later. 

Lockdowns - no, not fair but nothing in life is fair. Unfortunately, individuals are not maintaining social distance, wearing masks and avoiding large gatherings. So am I surprised about the lockdowns - NO, I know about the financial and economic impact but I also see the impact to society and the medical care system. 

Stay at Home Orders - I get these for the above orders. What I do not understand is the curfew times. The best answer for this that I can relate it to is the bars and clubs. The later they are open the longer individuals drink the more carefree they are about wearing a mask, maintaining social distance, and there are larger crowds.

Mask or no mask - I will tell you this prior to this pandemic I was not a fan of masks unless you were sick in a hospital or working at a hospital. Now while I still do not enjoy wearing a mask I do and guess what I have rash, acne around my ears, nose, and chin. I wear a clean mask but wear it all day at work for 9 hours or so and it sucks! Even more so when I am in my office alone and I am half wearing it, you never know when someone is going to walk in. Sometimes I do half wear hanging and other times I do go without because I am alone.

Vacations - my spring trip to CA was cancelled, my trip to Houston to see the Angels play and celebrate my friends wedding - cancelled, a possible trip to Vegas in May - cancelled, trip to Salt Lake which I have been looking forward to since August 2019 - cancelled, trip to Vegas in September to see Kelly Clarkson - cancelled, trip to Palm Desert for Thanksgiving - cancelled, so in case you missed it, all trips CANCELLED. I

Social - my social life is non existent. It mostly involves watching tv, movies, live streams, Alabama football games, LPimms and Marco Polo videos with two friends. Occasionally I will go spend time with a small group of friends. 

So now that I have been so negative let me tell you some positives.

Strength - I have that or at least I like to think I do. I have my weak mental days and I get down but seeing videos from my friend Melissa and Cindy help me so much. As well as seeing my niece Laura on twitchtv make cocktails and share her knowledge. 

I'm good company - I have learned that I am comfortable being alone. I may not like the length of time I spend alone when I am not at work but I can be by myself as I have had to do that most of 2020. 

Faith - while sometimes my faith isn't so strong and bright I have it and I believe things will get better after all this and for that I am very grateful.

Hope - I have hope that I will see my friends in CA, AZ, UT and wherever else they are in the future. I also know I will see my family too!!!

So all in all yeah this pandemic kind of shook things up a bit, it was challenging but we have somehow made it and it wasn't wasted because if you are like me you hopefully learned a little bit about yourself. 

Friends

Let me tell you a story and what friendships mean to me and why I value them so much. Some of my good friends have given me strength and support through some of the ugliest times of my life and some of the most exciting. They have kept me from feeling lonely as well as feel grounded. Which is why some of my friends are some of my most treasured possessions in my life. Now i know that sounds bad to call them possession but I cant' think of the right word but I guess I would not trade a good friend for a million dollars....am I really saying that? 

Some of the strongest, long lasting friendships are the ones who tell you the truth or shake you back to reality when nobody else will. Friends who cannot be honest with us, in my opinion are not true friends and eventually the friendship will fade. So the friends who stick with us through the thick and thin of being brutally honest, or supportive are the ones that I tend to value and consider a true friend.

Friends who leave you in difficult times, or can't handle conflict, are probably not true friends. Why? Because a strong friendship, or any strong relationship, requires commitment and  faithfulness. Basically unconditional love. Don't get me wrong; arguments, misunderstandings and distance will occur in any relationship. However, a faithful friend will keep showing up and work through whatever is impacting your life, or even your friendship.

Sadly, friendships like any relationship, can be a source of pain as much as it can be joy. Friendships make us vulnerable to betrayal and disappointment. Which of course leads to the end of the friendship, which you have to mourn. Boy have I mourned some. But you know I have to be honest. I sometimes mourn that individual when something occurs that reminds me of them and I think oh man I should call X and then you realize you haven't talked in days, months or years. Once I have that moment of sadness, I try to focus on how their friendship was probably just for a season and I have gratitude for that season.

In short I am grateful for the friendships I have or have had. Please don't be offended if there is no picture of us on this post - I just did a quick selection. 

And most important - if you are fortunate to be friends with your family members and you love spending time with them - than that it is the BEST!!!

It has been a while

 I can't believe I have not blogged since May but then again I can. Let me see how much I can catch up in one post. 

May 17 - I finally had my hair colored after so many months of just letting it go because of Rona or Covid which ever you prefer. One thing is for sure I decided I can't go natural. I would be a white haired lady and look at older than I am. 

June - My boss in Carrollton starter interviewing her replacement and that just made me panic. She is an amazing woman and the time there had been challenging. So I decided that if she was going to leave so was I. I dragged my feet and mid June I started applying randomly and started talking to some prospective employers. We resumed sacrametn services that only allow 50 individuals I went once and it just didn't feel right. We do get to partake of the sacrament but we have to wear masks, we cannot sign, and we really can't socialize because we have to social distance. While it is good to see the people who are there I miss singing the hymns and I feel silly wearing a mask but willingly do it. I have never been a fan of masks. I get so much more out of my sacrament meditation and listening to previous talks by our church leaders. A lot of the messages are very similar and consistent and in cycles. It is no surprise that we have to be reminded of the things we need to d

July - I received a job offer and I put in my three week notice. This new job was going to require me to relocate, take a pay cut but it was something I felt I needed to try and so I went back to contract manufacturing and it has been interesting. I made plans to transfer my lease to Frisco. Everyone tells me how great that is because there is so much to do there....huhm what about Rona and her restrictioins. Yes, I follow them. I am not out partying it up and chilling like a villain. Sorry couldn't resist. I also finally did a Zoom call with my family and it was so good for my soul to see them. I miss them so much and that is the hardest part about this whole Rona situation. I don't know that I would go visit them if I still lived in CA but it would be a more reasonable option. I just can't fly home and see them these days. 

August - Can you believe we are 5 months in with Rona. I made the easy but difficult decision to not transfer my lease to Frisco. Instead I am commuting 40 miiles each way to work. I know crazy but it really is fine with no traffic things to Rona. Why am I doing it? The person I was replacing decided to stay. although this week she apparently has resigned. This weekend I made more purchases for my year supply and now have toothpaste, soap, and cleaning supplies and two first aid kits. 

So there you a quick snap shot of my life the last four months with Rona!

Four Trips Planned for 2020......down to

I had four OK maybe five trips planned for this year.  I was so ready so excited because they revolved around my family and friends.  What are these trips, you ask?  I am so glad you did so let me share with you. 

March - I was going to head to Houston to celebrate my friends wedding and attend the opening game of the season for Houston to mark one more MLB park off my list.  Bonus, the Angels were going to be in town.  Perfect way to start the MLB season and use the excuse to splurge on this weekend trip to also celebrate my birthday!!  This one involved a friend but it was about baseball too!!!

April - super tentative dream trip to go to Palm Desert for Passover but this was a long shot and not really planned just something I hoped to be able to do and had a fare alert setup. 

May - HB Singles Conference!!!  I bought an early registration ticket and put a fare alert setup.  Excited to see friends and maybe Laura & Spencer in LA.

July - Salt Lake City Celebration with the Health and Wellness company I am a part of.  Again, I had a fare alert set on my phone. 

September - Kelly Clarkson Invincible Concert in Las Vegas.  I almost purchased my ticket last week as my alert had a great fare.

November - a week in CA for Thanksgiving with family and some time with friends.

The Passover trip was no longer a reality around early March and I was OK with that but I was not OK with the feeling that I kept getting that the Singles Conference would be cancelled.  Then on March 21 when it was officially cancelled, I was OK because I had been having the feeling for a few weeks but had not shared them with many people.  I was primarily saddened because the reality that COVID was now keeping me from going home and it would be over a year since I had seen my CA friends and Laura who was the only family member I was able to see on my last visit to CA.

Then a few days later I got the notice that my SLC event was being cancelled and it would be virtual.  Again sadness!!!!  However, I tried to be positive by reminding myself I would just save money and would be seeing my CA friends in Vegas Baby.  However, I kid you not about 3 weeks ago the feeling that my Vegas trip would be cancelled started creeping into my head.  It is no longer a feeling, it is a reality.  It has been cancelled.

So now I only have Thanksgiving left and I am scared and angry and sad that what if Thanksgiving is cancelled this year.  I will be heartbroken.  It would be four thanksgivings missed with my family - 2 back to back and I do not think I can handle that.  So I will not let that thought creep into my mind.

I guess the upside is I can start making plans for 2021!!!   OHH and you probably figured it out, I am down to UNO!!!

This is a period of time I have prepared for my whole life!!

Yes, you read that right, I have been preparing for these days of stay at home orders most of my life.

I had a roommate that was all about emergency preparedness.  We both are members of the Church of Jesus Chris of Latter Day Saints which is big on emergency preparedness.  Having lived with her helped me develop habits of having essential items on hand. This habit proved to be such a blessing last year, and this year as I was unemployed/underemployed for most of 2019.  

After accepting a full time job offer in mid February, I started a plan to restock and purchase every day items that in some cases I had not purchased in a year.  So I was down on toothpaste and that was one of the items I restocked on immediately, than I did paper towels, and suddenly I kept thinking you need toilet paper and while I had the money I kept thinking just wait until your next paycheck.  Guess what the 2020 TP shortage occurred and I was down to three rolls - I am happy to say I have a pack and 3 rolls left as I found some one day.  I do have to say my frozen stash of Trader Joe's grilled asparagus is getting low and that makes me sad.  The canned goods I had underneath my bed are now completely gone - good thing because they were dusty.  I now have just the food in my pantry and freezer.

As part of my training I also learned that being alone doesn't mean loneliness it can also mean solitude.  So I focused to look at my time alone as solitude.  I enjoy being alone and focus on enjoying the peace and quiet  I had a friend in San Diego who did not like being alone and I remember once her calling me asking me if she could come over.  It was in that moment that I was grateful for being comfortable being alone.  I will say this I have enjoyed the peace and quietness but I am starting to get restless.  I miss my weekend routine, specifically my Sundays.  

I am also learning that I can do more than I think I can in a kitchen.  I have developed my cooking skills the past few years but the last few weeks even more so as I learned to make scrambled eggs!!!  Yes, that is right, I didn't know how to make scramble eggs.  Mainly because I have a high standard for scrambled eggs and not many people can meet that standard so how could I a novice cook meet my high standards.  I did - or maybe I lowered them for my cooking skills. 

So yes, being single has prepared me for this period of time of Stay at Home Orders.  Yet my extrovert party girl is starting to miss the social life which will return one day soon.  Full disclosure because I work in a hospital I apparently am considered essential staff so I do go to work and then I come back home and go in full mode isolation.  The weekends are hard because when you are up at 7AM and you do all you can think of doing you look at the clock and guess what, I still have seven more hours to go before I can crawl in bed.  I miss my friends, I miss going out to dinner or to their homes to play games, I miss my church friends and the discussions.

But I will follow the stay home orders so that soon we can all be healthy and together soon.

Every Day I start with 2 ounces of adaptogens

Each morning I wake up and have a couple of ounces of some amazing adaptogens that help my body combat the effects of stress, they each have their own mechanism of action to benefit overall health.

Here’s a quick overview of the adaptogens my drink contains:

Wolfberry (Lycium barbarum): A red-orange berry of the Solanaceae nightshade family that ancient (what?) regarded as nourishing to the liver, kidneys, and eyes. Modern studies affirm its use in modulating stress and supporting faster recovery post-exercise (5-7).

Eleuthero root (Eleutherococcus senticosus): A small, woody shrub native to Northeastern Asia used in traditional Chinese medicine as a natural remedy for reducing fatigue. Modern use of the root was popularized after the former Soviet Union popularized its use for its space and sport programs to support physical endurance (8, 9).

Rhodiola (Rhodiola rosea): A plant that grows in the coldest regions of the world, including Northern Asia. Rhodiola has been traditionally used in Russia and Scandinavian countries to strengthen the body’s resistance to stress and improve energy levels (10).

Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera): Used in Indian Ayurevedic medicine for centuries and native to regions of India, Africa, and the Middle East. In recent studies, ashwagandha has demonstrated potent antioxidant effects (11, 12). Studies have also shown it to support healthy brain and immune function (13, 14).

Bacopa (Bacopa monniera): A plant popular in traditional Indian medicine practices for the enhancement of memory and to promote longevity. Preclinical studies have shown it to have antioxidant and adaptogenic effects on the central nervous system (15-17).

Schizandra (Schisandra chinensis): This berry grows as part of a woody vine native to the forests of Northern China and Eastern Russia and has long been used in traditional Chinese medicine. In human studies, schizandra has been reported to increase work accuracy and decrease feelings of fatigue and exhaustion (18).

Want to know more email me or make a comment.

Sources:

5 - Gruenwald J, Brendler T, and Jaenicke C. PDR for Herbal Medicines. Medical Economics Company, Inc. 2000. Montvale, NY.

6 - Engels G, Brinckmann J, Lycium (Goji Berry) Lycium barbarum and L. chinense Family: Solanaceae HerbalGram. 2017, 113: 8-18.

7 - Bucheli P, Gao Q, Redgwell R. Vidal K. Wang J. and Zhang W. Biomolecular and Clinical Aspects of Chinese Wolfberry In: Herbal Medicine: Biomolecular and Clinical Aspects. 2nd edition, Benzie IFF, Wachtel-Galor S, editors. CRC Press/Taylor & Francis, Boca Raton, 2011.

8 - Saluzki D, Smolarz HD. TLC profiling, nutritional and pharmacological properties of Siberian ginseng (Eleutherococcus senticosus) cultivated in Poland, Pak. J. Pharm. Sci. 2016; 29, 1497-1502.

9 - Blumenthal M, Hall T, Goldberg A, Kunz T, Dinda K, Brinckmann J, et al. The ABC Clinical Guide to Herbs. Austin, TX: American Botanical Council; 2003.

10 - Darbinyan V, Kteyan A, Panossian A, et al. Rhodiola rosea in stress induced fatigue–a double blind cross-over study of a standardized extract SHR-5 with a repeated low-dose regimen on the mental performance of healthy physicians during night duty. Phytomedicine 2000;7:365-71.

11 - Jayaprakasam B, Padmanabhan K, Nair MG. Withanamides in Withania somnifera fruit protect PC-12 cells from beta-amyloid responsible for Alzheimer’s disease. Phytother Res 2010;24:859-63.

12 - Auddy B, et al. Standardized Withania somnifera extract significantly reduces stress-related parameters in chronically stressed humans: a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study. JANA 2008; 11:50-56.

13 - Ziauddin M, Phansalkar N, Patki P, Diwanay S, Patwardhan B. Studies on the immunomodulatory effects of Ashwagandha. J Ethnopharmacol 1996;50:69-76.

14 - Davis L, Kuttan G. Immunomodulatory activity of Withania somnifera. J Ethnopharmacol 2000;71:193-200.

15 - Uabundit N, Wattanathorn J, Mucimapura S, Ingkaninan K. Cognitive enhancement and neuroprotective effects of Bacopa monnieri in Alzheimer’s disease model. J Ethnopharmacol 2010;127:26-31. doi: 10.1016/j.jep.2009.09.056

16 - Morgan A, Stevens J. Does Bacopa monnieri improve memory performance in older persons? Results of a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind trial. J Altern Complement Med 2010;16:753-9.

17 - Roodenrys S, Booth D, Bulzomi S, Phipps A, Micallef C, Smoker J. Chronic effects of Brahmi (Bacopa monnieri) on human memory. Neuropsychopharmacology 2002;27:279-81.

18 - Aslanyan G, et al. Double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized study of single dose effects of ADAPT-232 on cognitive functions. Phytomedicine 2010.

I am nervous

I do my weekly weigh in tomorrow and I am nervous and excited.  Nervous because I will be 2 lbs from a milestone accomplishment on my road to 50 by 12/31/19.  

I saw myself in the mirror the other day and I saw a flatter stomach, a smaller bottom.  I know I don't have a six pack but I saw flatness in some areas hard to describe.  Not an ab line in the middle but on the sides - is that even possible?  Anyways, there is less stomach or at least I thought there was one morning and I believe it is still true.

I fit in all the clothes I own and some are even way loose.  

So why am I nervous?

What if it is all in my head, what if the scale doesn't show that 2 lb. loss?  I also have to take my measurements for this month and I am pretty confident I have lost more inches but what if I haven't?  Am I overthinking it?  Yes, of course I am.  Why do I weigh in and take measurements tomorrow - because I have to enter my stats for the month of October for my 16 week challenge.  Yes, I know the last day of the month is Wednesday but I just prefer to do it on the last Saturday of the month.

So I am telling myself calm down tiger, you got this and no matter what the scale or measuring tape tell you, you are on the right path.  I will also paraphrase the quote above:  A journey of weight loss begins with one pound and I am doing it!!!

Marco Polo and My Therapy

I love technology and Marco Polo is one of my newest things I have come to appreciate this year.  It is an app that allows you to record a video message to an individual or group.  I have been using it with different friends for over a year but this year it has been therapeutic for me.

As I have been dealing with having interviews only to be told I am too experienced or it was a difficult decision and someone beat me out I have two friends who listen, encourage me, check up on me, and we laugh.  We share our daily struggles ranging from family, business, work, car, dating, husbands, lack of dating, exercise, contagious illnesses, accidents, you get the idea anything.  

I can't imagine how down I would be if these ladies and I were not video messaging weekly.  I am so grateful for their friendship and that they take time from their days to video message me and share a little bit of their life with me.  While we are 1,409 miles apart (20 1/2 hour drive apart) Marco Polo brings us together!  So today when I saw this on social media, I had to share with them and let them know that those videos remove all the stress from my life for a few minutes, and makes me want to take their stress off them.  Love these two sweet friends.

Substitute Teaching

I have always thought I wanted to be a traveling college professor.  You know someone is needed for a semester and you travel to that university and cover for the semester.  Not sure if such a position exists but it does in my retirement plans.  However, I need a masters degree for that and I have always put that to the side so that is on hold. 

I can however do substitute work for elementary, middle, and high school and I am in the middle pay rate since I do have a bachelors degree.  I completed my second week of substitute teaching this week and let me tell you - my respect and admiration for my friends who are teachers has been reinforced. 

I have done two middle school assignments.  One I absolutely enjoyed as I saw kids from my church and that gave me confidence to know I knew people there.  The other was at another nearby middle school and I don't think I will go back there.  It wasn't for teaching but rather to be an aide and I did not like that. 

I have subbed in kinder and that was quite fun.  There was even a kid I knew in the class although I didn't quite recognize him at first he knew, he knew me.  He was a cousin of the friends I spent the day at the Fort Worth Zoo.  It was so funny once we confirmed it.  He apparently went home and told his family and cousins; one of which I saw at my first assignment which was the cool middle school.

I have also done 1st through 4th and it was good.  I think my favorite so far was a bilingual class.  I really felt like I was doing something and teaching and learning.  I also thought my most comfortable environment would be high school, then middle school and last elementary.  Surprise to me, I love elementary school.

Do I want to pursue a teaching credential?  No, not at this time.  Teaching is hard work, it takes a special person and I don't think I am that person. 

3rd Challenge Week 7 of 16

So what happened during week 7?  

• I did 59.6 miles this week in a combination of walking/biking.
• I lost 1.4 lbs which is big as the previous week I lost 6.4 lbs.
• I started the subbing gig - I knew teachers worked hard, underpaid but I think until you just stepped into their world you don't realize how hard it really is. 
• I wrote my goals, my gratitude and drank my water. 
• I head back from a company I interviewed with in Southlake and well I was passed up because she sees a lot of potential of me and the position can't provide that.

I am knocking on the door of 40 and hope to achieve this by November 8.  As you know I had a goal to lose 50 lbs by 3/24 this year but it didn't happen.  I reset my button in May, and I now just want to meet this goal by 12/31/19.  Need to keep pushing ahead.

I feel like I am doing it and people are commenting (not the unfiltered people) but the genuine friends who are encouraging me.  Things I heard this week:

At Work:

     Coworker:     Have you lost weight?  

     Me:              Yes, a little over 30 lbs.

     Coworker:     I can tell, you are looking good.

     Me:              Thank you

In a Text:          You look great

                         Thank you

Now I am not sharing to brag but to show that sometimes people do not say anything but they are watching you, when you make a decision to live a healthy lifestyle.  

How do I feel?  I am happy.  In a time where I am struggling with being unemployed and running out of money, I find comfort in knowing that I am in control of my healthy lifestyle.  I am walking more, riding a bike and while I may not feel like doing it, once I get out there my body loves moving and needs it.

You too, can feel this way.  Make a decision to start with one thing first, it should be realistic and achievable.  Drink a lot of soda? Cut it in half and replace with more water.  Not exercising?  Start walking to the corner of your street.

I am not giving up, I am going to crush my goals and on 12/31 I will reach my goal of being 50 lbs lighter. 

This weeks accomplishment and word of the final quarter of 2019

Every week I do a weigh in on Saturday mornings to keep myself accountable on my physical fitness wellness journey and record the results in a post on a group in FB.  Last week I did not report and guess what I gained 3.8 lbs but that is not the reason I didn't post.  I was in pain last week and I was not able to do my 2 day cleanse and I had some comfort food - gummy bears and ice cream they healed the pain temporarily but I promise you but not worth the 3.8 lbs. The reason I didn't post is because I was moving slowly and I went on to focus on the spiritual side of my wellness journey and watched General Conference.  During the weekend I heard a word a couple of times that no only applies to spiritual but also to my physical and it was validated when I listened to a podcast this morning.  So read on to find out the word.

This week I continued my physical journey and rode a total of 60.74 miles this week on a stationary bike. I was able to do a two day cleanse (even after I learned my monthly nutrition system was delivered in Houston) luckily I had enough items to do my cleanse.  Drumroll.......I not only lost the 3.8 lbs I gained last week but also an additional 2.6 lbs!!!

So I am officially no longer knocking on the door of 30 lbs lost, I have gone through the door and knocking on 40. My weigh in t-shirt is loose and I had to take a picture this morning - wish I had taken one back in May when I decided to focus on my wellness journey. I feel like my goal to reach a 50 lb loss in 2019 is going to happen!!!

Finally I want to just THANK YOU all who have commented, reacted to my posts. I post to hold myself accountable and most important to give someone HOPE (Help One Person Everyday) that they too can do this, the process works but it takes INTENT. So I now not only want to give you HOPE but also INTENT!

Catch My Breath Results in Gratitude

I am a little behind on making some calls, commenting on some comments and updating my blog but that is OK. As I listened to Kelly Clarkson's Catch my Breath the following lyrics stuck with me:

Catch my breath, no one can hold me back, I ain't got time for that. Catch my breath, won't let them get me down, it's all so so simple now

It's all so simple now

Yes, I am going through a rough patch of my life right now. Choosing to resign from my job from the City of Keller was not an easy choice but when it became crystal clear I did not belong there nor was I wanted there, I made the choice that was best for my well being. I had a job lined up but that fell through and guess what as the second week of October is nearing the end and I am still seeking full time employment I can't help but think how grateful I am for this season in my life. Don't get me wrong, my money well is getting dry and as I closed my eyes and flew off my bike last week I thought I have no medical insurance this is going to suck, I am still thankful for what I have learned these past few months.
I have had many tender mercies extended to me. I thought I would be able to afford being unemployed comfortably for six months at the month but wouldn't be for more than three. My car was paid for but guess what? The transmission went out in February and that meant I had to buy a car in April. Tender mercies came my way with people lending me cars and even offering to help me buy a car - I can not even begin to express the gratitude from those individuals that at that time I had known for less than a year. I became resourceful and did side hustles like dog/house sitting, getting a part time job in retail, able to do service, enjoy spending time with my friends that are stay at home mom's, go to the library and check out books and movies, and make friends I may not have made if I was working. My nutrition company supplemented my income surprisingly this year and gave me some unexpected extra cash.

I am sad I will not be with my family next month to celebrate Thanksgiving (as I type it my eyes just tear up and I am crying) but just the same doing the #last90days challenge is helping me see how much I have to be grateful for not just on that day but every day.