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.

Calming the Committee

For various reasons, I learned very early that my mind is a pretty scary place to hang out. Not that I hear voices or see things or talk to dead people (not on a regular basis that is), but that I can be my own worst enemy when it comes to either dwelling on the past and/or fretting about the future. Anxiety occurred pre-puberty and has lasted well into adulthood.
When I was a teenager I discovered that alcohol and sometimes marijuana lessened that for me. It would calm me down long enough to slow down all the pinging and zapping and internal slapping that was going on. I didn’t drink much through my marriage but when things were really falling apart at the end I started a fifteen year binge in order to drown out everything that had gone wrong. Then I woke up.
My goal for the past ten years has been to find and use ways to calm down all that static. It hasn’t been easy. I didn’t need just one thing. I needed a whole tool box, somedays I even needed a full storage shed of things to shut down the committee that resides in my head. Here is what I have found:
1. Walking – particularly in the woods by myself. I love the smells, the sounds, the light dancing through the leaves of the trees. I feel at peace.
2. Playing music – whether I am playing drums, piano or my cello, I am transported outside of myself and by concentrating on the music I can bring that committee into harmony.
3. Knitting – it is a process for me. It is rarely about the finished product. Keeping my hands busy slows down my thoughts.
4. Painting, drawing, or other artwork – most recently I have found a book on coloring mandalas. I have set up the table with copies of the mandalas and my little basket of colored pencils and I will spend about a half hour a day coloring. Often it is even longer as I lose track of time easily when I am working on color blending.
5. Writing – either for this blog or other essays or the novel. It gets me out of myself and maybe even into the mind of a character I have made up. I can channel my own anxieties and fears in to my characters and sometimes even be able to leave those feelings there.
6. Yoga and other exercise - reminds me that I have a body and that when my body feels strong and pain free it is easier for me to be relaxed and happy.
7. Traditional mindfulness meditation – sometimes I chant, sometimes I am able to just sit and concentrate on my breath or an object. This works best after having done one of the above. My mind already needs to have started to slow down. I can’t go from 100 to zero without taking the time to slow things down gradually.
I hope you enjoy these mandalas. I make copies out of the coloring book onto heavier paper and then color. That way I can color the same mandala again in the future and use different color combinations. I included a picture of the book cover in case this is something you would be interest in.
Namaste!

Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Knitting Disorders

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Knitting Disorders (DSKM) is the standard classification of knitting disorders used by knitting group members in the United States. It is intended to be applicable in a wide array of contexts and used by knitters and other handcrafters of many different orientations (e.g., crochet, weaving, spinning, raising animals for wool, etc). The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Knitting Disorders, (DSMKD) has been designed for use across various settings (urban, rural, workshop, bookstores, yarn stores, public parks, etc), with community populations. It can be used by a wide range of individuals, including store owners, guild facilitators and caring family members. It is also a necessary tool for collecting and communicating accurate public health statistics about this growing epidemic (primarily in the Northeast area of the United States.

Narcissistic Knitting Disorder –

1. knits only for self,

2. does not see others as knit-worthy,

3. others are seen only as valuable if they are willing to give her part of their yarn stash.

Obsessive Compulsive Knitter – all knitters have this diagnosis but may be differentiated into the following subcategories:

· Obsessive perfectionist with ripping tendencies:

o Rips out perfectly good sections of sweaters due to small mistakes

o Cannot sleep unless the garment is unraveled and started over at least 5- times

o When seeing someone else continuing to knit past a mistake, the OP with RT will have hallucinations of seizing the garment and unraveling it in the presence of the non-OP w/RT knitter while screaming obscenities

· Obsessive Self Flagellator –

o Knitter who makes mistakes, does not rip them out and feels obsessively compelled to point out the mistakes to other even if the other people are unable to detect the mistake.

· Obsessive Mistake Voyeur –

o Knitter who notices other knitter’s mistakes and feels obsessively compelled to point out the mistakes to other even if the other people are unable to detect the mistake.

o Lonely and without knitting friends, usually feels abandoned and has to purchase yarn via on-line stores.

Crazy Crafting Disorder – may fall into one or all of the following categories

o All family members have sweaters with small animals, pompoms or Holiday ornaments hanging from them.

o Can be seen walking small animals wearing handknit sweaters to make them look like an animal other than their own species.

o Can be found at Holiday craft shows selling knitted tissue paper boxes, cell phone covers, cute little animals and head bands.

Yarn Store Voyeurism (also known as Yarnophile) –

• All family vacation routes are planned according to location of yarn stores
• Travel may be delayed for hours if a unmarked yarn store is seen
• May put family at risk for car accident if knitter is driving and she sees someone selling a stash of yarn at a yarn sale
• If lost, family or friends may find her quietly fondling a bin of yarn - usually mohair, cashmere or baby alpaca.

Bipolar Stash Disorder

• Cycles rapidly between mania and depression when viewing the stash of yarn and old knitting magazines, patterns and books.
• When stash becomes unmanageable will give away large amounts of yarn and then in a state of confusion and anxiety until the next Web’s sale.
• Has threatened to end or has ended relationships when it has been suggested that she decrease the size of the stash.

Delayed Gratification Disorder

• Unable to finish projects – includes one or the following variations
• Second Sock syndrome – has a drawer full of single socks and partially finished second socks. May wear non-matching socks and insist that this is the way she meant it.
• Short Second Sock syndrome – the second sock of the pair is usually shorter than the first due to the inability to maintain attention and the desire to move on with her life.
• Show Off Sock Syndrome – knits both socks at the same time on one or two circular needles. Insists on showing everyone and calls herself a Knitting Rock Star. The socks still don’t fit anyone but they are the same size and completed at the same time.
• Forgets to put thumb in mittens and needs to back up or start again.

Multiple Personality Knitting Disorder

• Has a number of projects going at one time (may be due to delayed gratification disorder or Knitter’s Attention Deficit Disorder) but if the knitter has an arousal response to the number of projects or needs to have at least two travel projects, one or two meeting projects and a television watching project – then it may be MPKD.
• Often finds unfinished projects when moving or cleaning house
• Insists on making complicated knitting projects for events – weddings, new babies, funerals, Bar Mitzvahs, graduations and all holidays including small flags for 4^th of July picnics.
• This disorder may develop into an Evil Personality Knitter’s Disorder as deadlines approach.

Evil Personality Knitter’s Disorder

• Insists that every family member has a handmade knitted item for Christmas or Hanukkah and, if anyone complains, she knits them something truly hideous for the next holiday.
• Asks the recipient each time she sees them if they like the item they were given.
• Disregards people’s color requests
• Totally ignores family's needs as deadlines approach and has been known to let family and pets starve for lack of groceries.
  

Attention Deficit Knitting Disorder

• May be also diagnosed as MPKD or DGD but also includes:
• Stays up late to view Ravelry, Knitty, Knit Picks and other websites
• Veers off of road at the spotting of a yarn store
• Has a glazed look on her face during a Web’s Store Sale Event and may need to be led out of the store – can be heard muttering “So soft, so pretty, so soft, so pretty.” (this may be a precursor to Knitting Psychosis)
• Initially learned to knit and then proceeded to spin, dye and weave. May also lead to owning multiple wool-bearing animals including but not limited to: alpacas, sheep, angora rabbits, goats, and long haired cats and dogs.

Knitting Psychosis

See third item under ADKD. This may develop into Knitting Psychosis. Symptoms include:

• Insomnia – staying up late to knit and watching infomercials at 3 a.m. Partner or children will usually find her in the morning drinking copious amounts of caffeine and muttering “knit on, Purl two, Yarn over”
• Agitation that develops into aggression and possible homicidal tendencies at yarn sales. Has been known to stab other shoppers with needles or trip someone who gets in her way on the way to the worsted wall. May even spill beads on the floor to disable other shoppers.
• Insists that her pets like being dressed up like dinosaurs or rabbits and says that they even told her so.
• Is rarely seen at knitting guild meetings for fear of being caught talking to the voices in her head that are telling her acrylic is evil and to poke out the eye of anyone who is knitting with man made fibers in public.

This list is non-conclusive. More editions will be made available as more research is compiled.



Happy Knitting!!!