Staying on the Wellness Wagon

It has been a crazy couple of weeks and I almost fell off my wellness wagon one week when I had a lot of evening work activities going on. Fortunately, I had the energy to pull it all together again. Here are the challenges I have been trying to find solutions for:

1. Healthy eating on the road. I am really starting to grasp the idea of making sure I pack a lunch. As I write this I am making a mental note to buy a couple of those little packs to keep lunches cool and maybe some handy compartmentalized lunch container. It is so hard to find healthy proteins out there that I guess I just need to start being proactive and preparing in advance. The second issue in regards to eating health on the road is the plethora of ice cream stands and convenience stores. Convenience does not equal healthy!! And the ice cream stands around here have kiddy sizes that would make a three year old topple over from the weight of it.

2. Exercise during the summer heat – I have a clubhouse with a treadmill and a television, but I really prefer the outdoors. However, the heat and humidity means I need to get up early to beat the rising sun. That was hard during the week I worked a few evenings. This past week, though, I found the motivation to get up and go for a good walk on two mornings. I also did a great fast pace walk on a wooded trail along the river on an evening when it was fairly cool.

If I take water and put a wet bandana around my neck it helps keep my body temp down.

3. Sweets – my urge for sweets has been increasing again even though I am not craving chocolate. I have switched to more fruity sweets. I am pretty sure that is not a good thing and I am seeing the doc the end of this week and will ask if I need to go up on the dose of my DL-Phenylanine. All of the stress of working long days may have reduced my dopamine levels and it may be time to give myself a boost. Or, as soon as it cools off, I may be okay.

4. Heat – I hate heat. I really do. I have no use for July at all and am not that fond of August either. I know there are people who love summer but I prefer a cold day in January over a hot day in July any time. Give me crisp October mornings and I am a happy woman.

5. Exercise and good food when travelling out of the state – I am leaving today for a three day conference in Chicago. I am packing workout clothes and walking shoes. The hotel has a fitness room and the conference agenda has yoga and walking scheduled for mornings. I hope they mean it. I am also going to ask the concierge to recommend a good vegetarian restaurant within walking distance.

Even with all of these challenges I am still enjoying my renewed energy level. This week I was not only able to travel all over and get in a few excellent walks, I was able to cook up a storm of vegan dishes for my writing group. Mary, Denise, Mary Kate, and Sally all came over yesterday and we had a great nosh before we started talking about our writing submissions for the month. I love to cook and having people for whom I can cook is the best. I can cook, have them eat it and take some with them, and I am not sitting on a pile of food that I am tempted to binge on. The menu consisted of Arugula and Tomato Bruschetta and Mushroom Poppers from The Vegan Table by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau, my own version of the edamame bean salad from the local grocery store, and Vegan Lemon Bars from The Joy of Vegan Baking, also my Colleen Patrick-Goudrea. I meant to take a picture of it all but it was so good we all just dove in and started eating.

I have set a short term fitness goal of walking in the Cigna 5K on August 22^nd. If it isn’t too hot and humid I know I can do the 3.2 miles in less than 45 minutes. That is what I am working towards and will need to do a few training walks at a fast pace before then. I know I can do it!

Sunday Musings – Why Moving to New Hampshire Has Been Good For Me

As I drive around this beautiful state I have a lot of time to think about how lucky I am to be living here. Here are the top ten reasons why it has been a great experience for me:

10. The scenery takes my breath away. I don’t have to drive miles and miles in heavy traffic to find someplace that is beautiful and serene. And sometimes I can stop and visit an alpaca farm or two. This animal has become my favorite farm animal for its peaceful demeanor and the fiber it provides.

9. Even though the first job I had when I came here ended up being very stressful, I learned a lot from it. I learned how to keep my head in tough situations and I realized what my work values are. I was able to find a job that fit my talents and values before the stress broke me. I am grateful for a lot of help from friends and faith during that time.

8. The new job at the NH Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence. It proves that no matter where my life took me I was able to use my experiences (both good and bad) to be of value in the long run.

7. Healthier living – There are walking trails everywhere and accessible farmers’ markets. I have experimented more with vegetables in the past five years that I did for the previous forty-nine. I owe a lot to a couple of house mates that loved to cook with fresh veggies. I had a few years during which I experienced some health challenges due to stress. However, after searching out the best holistic medical care available, I am now on my way to being much healthier.

6. Music – It was after moving here that I felt like bringing more music into my life by learning to play the cello. I encourage anyone over 50 to take on a new instrument. It is a good workout for the brain.

5. Boo – I came here with two cats I had to give up due to behavioral issues that made it difficult for me to rent. However, when I made this most recent move to Concord I found Boo at the local SPCA and she has ended up being the best cat I have ever had. She has a great personality and is very loving.

4. Writing – Since I arrived here, I have written more. I wrote a lot of poetry during the first couple of years and am now blogging and working on a novel. Being published is not my goal. The process of writing has become the purpose.

3. Knitting – (and weaving) – I have teased and said you can’t toss a glass of water without hitting a knitter in this state, and I really believe it. I can attend staff meetings and conferences and knit and not be the only one. I have made new friends through knitting and found how the power of just a few knitters can help a person who is struggling. Knitters from Concord and Manchester raised over $2000.00 in one day to help another knitter who is dealing with a medical issue and the bills that come along with it.

2. Friends – I have made wonderful friends here. Recovery friends, house mates, work friends, and knitting/writing friends. I have really been blessed.

1. Family – Being near my grandkids was my number one goal in moving here and it has been wonderful. I have been here to watch Katie and Molly grow into beautiful and smart teenagers and Caleb move from toddler to a bright and active third grader. Lizzie was born within four months of my arrival and being able to be near a grandchild right from the start has been the best. She is starting kindergarten in the fall and knowing she is my last grandchild makes it oh so bittersweet.

Stop the Yelling

I try hard not to get too controversial in my blog posts but today I am feeling a little disheartened. I try not to let these things bother me but it is hard when it is everywhere I look.

The other night I was driving back from training in Meredith, NH. A local business had a sign near the road that said “Socialism is wrong. God’s word says so.” I shook my head as I tried to wrap my brain around that but was accosted further down the road by a bumper sticker that read “Liberals – America’s Greatest Terrorist Threat.” I stayed behind him just in case my “NH Public Radio” bumper sticker was seen as an attack by the liberal media.

This morning I was getting coffee and a newspaper at the local convenience store. Next to the coffee station was a display of bumper stickers that were obviously designed for those folks who feel that this administration is the source of all their ills. I am seriously considering refraining from entering this store again.

I understand freedom of speech. However, I am increasingly aware that expressing one’s view point has become more like the exchange of insults on a playground instead of healthy debate. I have to admit that I was less than kind during the Bush years. However, I kept most of my comments between me and other liberals and did not seek out ways to openly attack conservatives. I also know that a lot of my liberal friends and colleagues chose to be more public and less kind in their observations. Neither side is innocent here. We are all guilty of behaving rather childishly.

I am also very aware that when I read the signs held up by members of various churches that I fall into quite a few of the categories they list as being damned to hell. I stopped considering myself a Christian when the qualities of Jesus that I most admired were no longer being demonstrated by the Christians with the loudest voices. As a fornicator, adulterer, etc., etc., I would have been welcome in Jesus’ circle and continue to be someone who finds him inspiring. However, I no longer wish to be identified with a fan club that claims exclusivity. I know and love many Christians who don’t want to be identified with the loud group that I sincerely hope is a minority within the Christian religion.

I also think that the miracle of the loaves and fishes was a socialist act and that Jesus lived and travelled in a commune. But those ideas are too liberal for the man with the store sign and the fellow with the bumper sticker to understand.

Yes, my feelings were hurt. And, yes, I wish we could all get along. The Dalai Lama once said that he didn’t want everyone to be Buddhist. He just felt that if everyone practiced their religion sincerely that the world would be better off. I try to be a good Buddhist that attempts to follow the loving values set forth by Jesus, Buddha, Muhammad, Lao Tzu, Black Eagle, and other great spiritual teachers of the millennia. I am not perfect. I trip. I have fallen flat on my face. I have been a sinner even by my own standards. I have been bruised by life and I have not always been kind to others.

Maybe I am too sensitive. I just want us all to respect each other’s differences and stop laying claim to the truth. My truth is very important to me and I enjoy hearing about other people’s truths. I find value in most religions and I understand how most political agendas are developed by groups of citizens who feel devalued. Just please stop the yelling so that I can hear you.