Giving Thanks!

A dear blogger friend, (DB) wrote the following in one of his posts recently:

“I once worked for a chef. One day during a slow period we all sat down to have lunch. The chef ladled out a bowl of soup for himself. Then he took a slice of bread out of a package in the refrigerator. He normally baked bread in the morning but for lunch he would use store bought bread. I watched him as he carefully studied that slice, turning it over in his hands a few times.”

“I asked him if he thought there was something wrong with the bread. He said there was nothing wrong with it, and then he talked about American farmers, wheat fields, the big machinery that harvested the wheat and left it in windrows to be picked up, put into a truck and taken to where it was processed into flour. He told about how the flour would be poured into large cloth or hardy paper sacks, loaded onto trucks and delivered to consumers.”

After reading DB’s post on his blog, my mind kept thinking about it every time I made myself a sandwich. It rented space in my head. Do we just give thanks only on Thanksgiving?

Now, it makes me think every time I eat a meal and recognize the dozens of people who did hard work to get food to your table…..the farmers, the grocery store clerks, the friends and relatives or restaurant chef who transforms raw vegetables into a bowl of delectable soup or side dishes.

During my last trip to Boston and while having lunch with 20 of my dearest friends at a local restaurant, one of our friends (Joanne Nardone) said grace before the meal. We all agreed that her words were absolutely lovely and coming from the heart.

Saying grace with a group of people around the table suggests not only the grazie of thanksgiving but also the calm, gracious elegance of living fully and well. Something we all don’t take the time to do.

I know I don’t find grace rushing around, gobbling down food, eating over the sink or eating too fast and polishing off a meal in 5 minutes.

I now try to sit down to eat all my meals and say a small prayer all my by myself to give thanks that transforms a meal for one into an act of celebration, focus, gratitude and Giving Thanks!

Oh, and thanks to “DB” for my thoughts while preparing this Post.



Veteran's Day!

November 11th

Veterans's Day honors all members of the Armed Forces who who served this country valiantly, and in a very big way. They served and fought to protect us, to keep our country safe, and to preserve our way of life. Veterans gave their time, and risked their lives for you and me. In some cases, they made the ultimate sacrifice.

The brave men and women who serve and protect the U.S. come from all walks of life; they are parents, children and grandparents. They are friends, neighbors and coworkers, and an important part of their communities.

We are all proud of all who served our country.  I have five (5) brothers:  two were in the Air Force and three were in the Army.  I remember, as a young girl how I prayed for them every night.  It was a joyous time when they all returned home! 

Add a habit of success to your life!

Whatever you do again and again turns into a habit just like putting on your seatbelts which is a great habit!  My habits have a profound effect on the quality of my life. The last 10 months have proven that to me without a doubt.

My horrible lab work results at the beginning of the year has drastically changed my habits! My eating habits, exercise habits and total lifestyle has changed with one blood work results that was so frightening and continued to get worse every two weeks and blood was drawn repeatedly out of concern.

I was feeling fine on the outside other than some weight I have gained during the last four years or so.  I learned to control my actions and habits and chose what I had to stop doing and develop a new and healthy way of life or things would turn grim.  I thought just my exercise in the pool was enough cardio but I was wrong……..need a lot more than that.

Though you can’t get rid of bad habits overnight, you can indeed choose and control them. I added so many new life changes and I certainly got rid of so many destructive ones that dramatically improved my life. I believe I was scared enough to do as I was told by my doctor. It took 10 long months to see improvements but they finally came. Thank goodness!

The Vegan Diet is the most difficult to do for me. I’m now allowed just a few things back like fish but still NO meat, dairy and grainy stuff like bread and crackers. Just eating fruits and veggies is boring but I have learned to make some new recipes that I enjoy some and some I don’t but I have programmed my head to be strict with myself. I didn’t say it would be easy!

I couldn’t believe that even small little habits made big differences. Because each time you do it, you steadily add more power to it. I added two more days to the gym. I now eat breakfast and lunch which I seldom ate………not to lose weight, I was just never a breakfast person and I was always running around at lunchtime doing errands but I now make it a must to eat breakfast and lunch. Actually, by not eating those two meals was causing me not to lose weight!

Think of what you can do, beginning right now to rid of an addiction. We get addictive to certain foods just like over the counter drugs or smoking or alcohol or any other addictive destructive things…………..Don’t wait until you become a senior citizen to start changing your life. Your quality of life will be so much better………trust me!  Keep in mind, your environment, selection of friends and choices of certain social activies can create bad habits!

I recall feeling like an outcast four years ago when I was the only one still smoking when all of my friends have stopped.  Now, I'm with the "In" crowd and on the right track!  I'm praying that some will kick the habit......you know who I'm talking about!

A dear friend recently gave me the recipe for WW muffins made with pumpkin.  Well, they tasted so good but were personally very addictive to me!  I did not have the willpower to have a dozen of these delicious things in my house so I had to give them to a neighbor!  LOL  I'm still craving them like I did the cigs when I stopped smoking so habits in all forms become addictive!

I got those new “Rocker” sneakers on sale for $32.00.  A fraction of the cost than the New Balance or other brandnames that cost $100.  First, let me start by saying that I was very skeptical and was an extreme doubter of the hype of this shoe. Such a weird shape and profile can really set anyone on the path of apprehension.  But they certainly force you to stand up straighter and align your spine. You have to get used to them at first and be super careful. I love them now! You definitely feel the burn in the back of your legs after a long walk or a Silver Sneakers Class routine!  I only wear them for walking and a workout.

P.S.  There was an 80 year old lovely lady in KMart that was wearing these Therashoe sneakers.....that sold it for me!  LOL  If she could handle the Rocker, then I knew I could do it too!

Add a habit of success to your life!

Hugs, Rose

My Trip to Boston October, 2010!

I just got back from visiting my children, family and friends in Boston. I had a fabulous time and couldn’t request better weather for New England breathing in cool, crisp air with the exception of the last day or so when a nor’easter approached! Brrrrrrrrrrr!

  

Yes, I was on the MTA with the trains and buses and the homeless people sleeping on the benches. Brought back memories of the days I went to work everyday in Boston. It is an amazing city. I truly miss it. My daughter and I had a fabulous day and met Rhonda for lunch.

Every time I go back in to the city…….there are new changes that I have not seen from the trip before.

My son cut and colored my hair and did his magic to make me look 10 years younger!

I’m happy I had the opportunity to visit with a sister who is ill and other siblings as well. I have such a large family and I don’t rent a car so it is so hard for me to see everyone during each trip.

I was disappointed not to be able to see one brother that was rushed to the hospital the day that was planned for a get together. The matter is under control now.

I had a blast with my classmate Forever Friends. I don’t believe I know anyone else that still is in contact with their classmates from childhood and all the way through high school and still have such a close friendship with a 50th Reunion approaching in the year 2012. We had a lovely luncheon at DeMaino’s Restaurant in which is one of my favorite restaurants.

And, my dear friend, Nina drove a long distance to have breakfast with me the day before my departure. I have the best friends in Boston and here in South Florida!

On my return flight home, oh my, I was taken out of the line at the airport to go through that new security machine that can see through your undies! And a women in uniform still patted me down………………Ugh!

I met very interesting people on my flight to Boston……a women doctor and her husband and during my flight back, a gentleman originally from Newton, MA that knew some of the same people I know. So both my flights did not require me to dig into a book and get focused on anything but the flight. I’m not the best flyer!

I had the pleasure of seeing my son again here in South Florida as he flew down two days before me to surprise me. Rhonda and Brian came too. We had dinner together last night and they surprised me with boxes of lovely gifts. They are tanned already! People who live in Florida year round stay out of the sun.

I thought I took care of everything before leaving for my trip…….you know, the “need-to’s,” “have-to’s,” and “ought-to’s,” yet, I somehow forgot a few things! LOL

I spent the first day getting my bills up to date, then sending off a card I forgot to send and the endless phone calls to return and the numerous emails to open……sigh, now my vision is clear!

Living away from my hometown for 21 years now, circumstances have changed, and with change there is great challenge. And with that challenge comes opportunity. With each change, new positive possibilities are born. It is hard to put your energy, your awareness and your creativity into figuring out what those possibilities mean.

One thing you can always count on is that the world will change. And even in the difficult changes, there is value to be found.  I will try to be ready and willing to uncover that value, and hope to make the most of it. And no matter what happens, I’ll always have the ability to get where I decide to go or need to be.  Decisions always need to be made daily.

It is great to be away for a while but always feels good to be back in your own bed!  I missed my make-up mirror the most!  LOL  I can't see in a normal mirror.  I need that magnifying side that allows me to put my eye make-up on to perfection!  At my age, my eyes are not what they used to be.

The time went by so fast, I can't believe I'm home already!  A special thanks to my children who spoiled me rotten!

Meditate! (I am)

You only live once. And, it doesn’t hurt to think of this, from time to time. The worst thing would be to look back on your life, wishing you could have been happier or done more. Unfortunately, I allow too much junk to rent space in my head. I try hard to let go of unpleasant things but sometimes it is not easy. There are many things I would love to change right now but with today’s economy, it has put a halt to my plans.

Recently, I learned how to meditate. For years, I found it difficult to do and a dear friend gave me Meditation CD and it did not work for me but watching Dr. Oz one day and Deepak-Chopra was a guest on the show. Deepak-Copra also provided a video on how to meditate.

http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/deepak-chopra-meditation

Just click on the blue lettering to view

Whoooooooooohooooooooooo, it worked! I have to turn on the video each day for it to work for me. I can’t do it alone like most people.

Now is the time to take a good look at your life and make changes so that you have no regrets.

We all know time flies by too quickly.  The days, weeks, months, and years slip away. I’m getting older and I feel like time is passing me by. I need to make some changes to allow and create more joyful memories back into my life, so I can look back with no regrets.

I found that Meditation allows me to go deep into my thoughts about events, people, etc. Deep down inside there is a longing to explore and to express more of myself. It requires a lot of solitude time and deep concentration to let go of certain things and allow other things into my life. Sort of like the “Law of Attraction”.

There is plenty of joy to be lived in this moment. I have now learned how to turn the uniqueness of the moment to help me discover new ways of enjoying life's real pleasures.

Hope the Meditation site helps you as well.

Values!

Being raised by strict Italian parents and a Catholic upbringing and coming from a very large family of 12, I pretty much had clear standards and values set out for me.

My foundation was set in stone and I never had to doubt or second guess myself until I became an adult and questioned a lot of things in my life.........all the whys?????? due to all the restrictions from my religion and my Italian heritage.

I lived with a lot of hand-me-downs and clothes and shoes that did not fit me properly all through childhood and high school, so of course, I went overboard starting with my first job to make a promise to myself that I would have the finest shoes and outfits!  I loved "payday" !

Ah, the days of Filene's Basement in Boston that allowed me the Designer clothes for a fraction of the retail cost!

When I became a parent, I then learned to realize and practice my own beliefs with high levels of self-confidence and esteem and doing what was best for me and my family. I didn't allow my religion to dictate my life and I didn't allow some old fashioned Italian beliefs to put a strain on me. I'm still Catholic but not so in fear of my religion as I was when a child. I love my Italian heritage but some strictness was overbearing and unnecessary.

I believe that family comes first above all. My values are still in embedded in my mind from my upbringing but with my own personality thrown in the mix.

I taught my children to be caring, respectful and trustworthy; they have turned out to be responsible adults.

I'm one proud Mama!

In Memory of September 11, 2001

On Saturday, September 11th, 2010, an American flag should be displayed outside every home, apartment, office, and store in the United States . Every individual should make it their duty to display an American flag on this anniversary of one of our country's worst tragedies. We do this to honor those who lost their lives on 9/11, their families, friends and loved ones who continue to endure the pain, and those who today are fighting at home and abroad to preserve our cherished freedoms.

In the days, weeks and months following 9/11, our country was bathed in American flags as citizens mourned the incredible losses and stood shoulder-to-shoulder against terrorism. Sadly, those flags have all but disappeared. Our patriotism pulled us through some tough times and it shouldn't take another attack to galvanize us in solidarity. Our American flag is the fabric of our country and together we can prevail over terrorism of all kinds.

Action Plan:

So, here's 2 suggestions

(1) Take a moment to think back to how you felt on 9/11 and let those sentiments guide you.

(2) Fly an American flag of any size on 9/11


God Bless You and God Bless America!

Music is the soundtrack of my life!

From a young age, I recall that music can move the soul. It can be a very strong influence. Some music can calm me down; some music can make me feel lively and wild! Music definitely affects all of us in some way!

Music is used in a variety of ways. It is used in the medical field as a source of research and as a sort of therapy as well. Music has been used as therapy for seizures, to lower blood pressure, aid in healing, and treat stress and insomnia. I remember a dentist once put earphones on me to listen to music for a lengthly procedure. Ever notice how parents always sing lullabies to their infant children.

The tune of "Happy Birthday", for example, conjures images of birthday occasions and memories and we all understand how music becomes embedded in courtship and romance. A piece of music heard even just once might be forever glued to a personal sense of place with detailed memories. What was your choice of wedding song as you walked the aisle? How was the theme of your high school prom played, by a live band or on a CD? What songs do you find most exciting or sad?

How come most country tunes are sad?

What song did you select from the Jukebox?

Music can unlock and evoke powerful religious emotion. The church has a centuries-old history of music in worship. The churches now incorporate more modern tunes in their chapels.

We all listen to music when in our cars that’s for sure.

I, personally love to put on a CD when cooking my Sunday gravy listening to Jimmy Rosselli and all the Italian songs. I listen to other tunes when cleaning the house that makes me move faster! LOL Then I like it when the house is quiet with no music at all.

And, I can’t wait to start my new Zumba class with loud, wild Latin music and fast steps. Even Richard Simmons helped many lose weight with “Sweatin’ to the Oldies”. Dancing with the Stars put out a Cardio Dance DVD doing the Cha-Cha, Samba, Paso Doble and Jive………Maksim is nice eye candy too and for you guys out there, Ashly and Kym are pretty amazing too! LOL

I always wanted to learn how to play the piano but never did. Yeah, I think music is a big influence on ALL!

Can you play a musical instrument?

I remember one of my brother's took lessons for the Clarinet.  I remember I liked the taste of the reed which was this wooden thing near the mouthpiece and had an unusual scent.  LOL

And, we all can't forget the impact Elvis left on all of us!  I have a girlfriend that is so crazy about him until this day.

Wow! We women hoard our makeup products!

Wow, I was cleaning out my makeup drawer and dollar signs appeared before my eyes realizing I spend a major fortune every year for a new eye shadow or a new shade of lipstick and some I hate and should have returned to the store but remains in my huge makeup drawer only to be thrown out a year later or so! Sound familiar?

We all know that mascara's shelf life is only three months or so as bacteria sets in every time we open it up and expose it to the air.

We women are all suckers for wanting to believe that a certain trade secret in some makeup product will make us look younger and remove the wrinkles and frown lines, etc. We are all afraid our eyes will betray our age and those dark circles under our eyes will go away if we buy their miracle product advertised all over the TV and Magazine Ads. If they worked, wouldn't we all look about 22 years old by now? LOL

Well, I'm a firm believer of keeping your face clean and moisturize, moisturize, moisturize. And, stay out of the sun! Why would you want your skin to look like your leather handbag? If you must bake in the sun, apply your sunscreen every hour.  I’m very fortunate that I have found a product that works well with my sensitive skin. And, that a dear practically family member keeps me supplied with this product as gifts. You know who you are darling!  I can't thank you enough and I always look forward to my next supply.  Fortunately, my daughter has inherited my genes and this same product works well for her too, yet is is costly.

We all have that half bottle of nail polish that turned into thick glue. The old trick of adding a little nail polish remover no longer works!

Wealth can by you a face lift, not sure I would want to go under the knife and have that pulled, plastic look. Stop smoking and stay out of the sun...............It is on the News almost daily but no one is listening! 

Wealth can by you Botox but who wants poison injected in your skin and freeze your face???? I also hate those big wide lips that look like the "Carol Chaning lips"..........Ugh!

Who doesn't want to look the best you possibly can look? No woman or man likes to lose their youth but it is out of our control. We can exercise, eat healthy and off the land and you will notice a difference in your complexion and moisturize, moisturize, moisturize.  And, moisturize some more!

We are all aware that makeup surely does its wonders and makes us look vibrant and sexy......I'm all for that even at my age! LOL  Time for a relaxing bubble bath.

A Picture Can Paint a Thousand Words!

A picture can paint a thousand words, but a thousand words can't paint that picture quite the same! But do pictures reveal the truth? With our high technology where picture editing software are available, photos can be deceiving.

Everyone that joins the online dating sites and Facebook or other social networking sites post their pictures online, yet most often things are never what they seem. Have you noticed?

About 5 years ago when I ventured on a site to see what all the rage was all about, I recall a man posted a picture of his nephew instead of himself.......now that was deceiving! Of course, he also lied about his age big time. Dah! Women do it too………why? Eventually, if both intend to meet, that photo will not match up to the real you!

Getting back to this guy, with a little investigating, his entire story was true about all his wealth, homes, cars, hobbies with the exception of his age and photo. The stupid dumb ass was obviously not computer savvy enough to realize that others can do some minor background checking with a click of a mouse! And, Viola, the real age pops up!

Spruce up your pictures with PhotoShop, as it does some pretty amazing things and quite delightful for other purposes other than to deceive. You can animate photos, take out the red eye, brighten a photo, create a cartoon, etc. It is truly quite an amazing program but requires a lot of reading and practice I might add. And, did I mention patience?

Photo editing has never been so much fun!  My photographer, daughter does not need PhotoShop to edit, as all her photos are so perfect!  She is so talented!

On a Scale from 1 to 10!

On a Scale from 1 to 10!

What am I without a man? We Widows for some reason place ourselves on the negative side of the ledger if we are without a man. In my Widow’s Group, if someone is dating or getting married, the congratulations are glowing.

When we were young, we were taught to be wives and mothers, we were not taught or prepared to be Widows.

I think congratulations are equally in order when a Widow writes out her first check and makes her first major decision all by herself to buy a high ticket item. I recall how I felt the first time I went to the movies all by myself or ate in a restaurant alone. I realized that I can appreciate my own company and most importantly, I can realize the difference between loneliness and solitude. I won’t lie; there will be many boring long days and nights. But, think about it, you can have those feelings when there is someone in your life too sometimes!

I loved being married and being a couple. It was wonderful but then again marriage is not for everyone either. Being a couple is not necessarily better than living alone and without a man in your life.

A woman can be celibate without sacrificing her sexuality and sexual without compromising her independence. It is wonderful to have good friends in your life. Actually, it is very important to have family and good friends to share fun days with.

We are all survivors when we go from widowhood to selfhood. I didn’t say it was easy, as it came with a great deal of coping and overcoming. You may not even recognize yourself after you experienced the long hard journey filled with fears and tears. We all still have good days and bad days, however, no matter how many years have gone by; acceptance is the key in order to go forward with you life.

Sometimes, I feel because a woman is alone, others take advantage and challenge you and put you in uncomfortable situations on purpose or take advantage of your time and kindness because they must think you must have so much time on your hands. That recently happened to me this past week and I didn’t appreciate being used that way.

I’m grateful that I have a good friend that brought to my attention that it is o.k. not to feel guilty about such things and to stop others from taking advantage of my time. Thank you dear friend, you know who you are.

My comfort zone feels safe again and relaxing. It takes a great courage to do what is unfamiliar and uncomfortable. Your self esteem rises along with your self confidence.

We all fear the new and find comfort in the stability in what we know is familiar. So, having to cope with all the unknowns, I think I’m doing o.k.

So, I think I am a 10 without a man!

Contagious Emotions!

I don't remember the last time I ate a doughnut but I love this graphic!  LOL  Jelly doughnuts used to be my favorite many, many years ago in this little bakery in Revere, MA!

I guess, like everyone else, I get excited about accomplishing something important.  I didn't realize how my enthusiastic emotions were so contagious!

I received numerous emails from friends stating that they were also concerned about their health and bad blood work results and appreciated that I shared my story with them and I felt the same vice versa.   I swear, I think I have half of South Florida drinking Green Tea!  I have two friends that wrote to me to tell me that they also joined Silver Sneakers. Kudos!

My enthusiasm obviously communicated good karma to many which pleased me a great deal. I strongly believe that my instructor at my gym motivates me tremendously. I did try two other gyms previous to the one I attend now and did not enjoy their Silver Sneakers classes. This instructor drew me in like a magnet which makes me look forward to my gym classes. She is also funny and entertaining which makes the workout not a grueling task.  Well, don't get me wrong, it's hard work for sure.  The last ten minutes of the hour class, I start looking at the clock because my body is telling me I'm getting very tired and was pushed hard!

When I discussed my experience with others, it somehow effortlessly attracted the support of others into my life and joining me in my Silver Sneakers Classes and also eating healthy.  And, the Green Tea factor was a major influence on my last lab report for sure!  Don't forget to count those carbs!  My Nurse Practioner said, if you want to drop 15 pounds.........stop drinking wine!  I love my wine but I stopped drinking it and replaced it with Green Tea.  I even put my Green Tea in a wine glass!  LOL  I personally like drinking it luke warm.  If you must drink wine, at least drink red wine and limit it to only one glass per night!  Yeah, I know.........we wino's want more but you have to love yourself more and be a good patient.  And, give up the cigs!

Even my smallest accomplishments made me continue to move forward during the past seven months of medical issues. Out of fear, with super high liver counts, I seized every opportunity available to me, the gym, the Vegan Diet book (the doctor told me to buy called "Eat to Live"), help from my friends, help from my blogger friends, Gastro Specialists, etc. I was the model patient and did exactly as I was told even though my Primary doctor is a total jerk with bad manners! The Nurse practioner knows far more and has a much better personality.

I think I may have found a new Primary Doctor only one town away from where I live that was referred to me and a woman doctor at that.  I've never been to a woman doctor before. I have to seize the opportunity to obtain better healthcare that I deserve. My Insurance Company advised me to interview this new doctor I have in mind to see if I would like switching over. We all deserve better healthcare but you have to play a role and do your homework in order to get it. Don't ever just accept what is given to you.

Get healthy my friends.  Take your lab results seriously and be in charge of your own health.  Not all doctors are created equal!