It's the final week of the Legs Do It! Challenge... and of course it's the busy week right before vacation. Here's my plan for this week; you'll notice I'm doing 3-days of sculpting/strength and integrating stretching in before/after. With the way my life tends to work out, I've found that incorporating my stretching into my routine this way is more in tune with how my life flows.
Tuesday: Sculpting
- 35 jumping jacks
- 100 total up/downs on the plyobox (50/leg)
- 25 lunges/leg (I think I'm a masochist... my legs are barely recovered from Saturday's lunges. But - I don't want super sore legs in FL next week, so I'm doing them now).
- 15 minutes legs only on the elliptical (3 minute intervals forward/backwards)
- Stretching before/after
Wednesday/Friday: Strength
- 20 minutes on the bike
- Weight machine routine
- Stretching before/after
Thursday: Running
It worked out really well to do my jog/walk routine before work last Thursday and shower here, so I think I am going to do that again.
Well that's that! It's been an awesome challenge and I'm looking forward to being more attentive to my legs in my workouts going forward. It's been great to have a bit more variety to my workouts as well; keeping the variety has kept it interesting!!
If I knew enough upper body/ab routines, I would offer up a challenge to people next month to work on those things... but I don't. So I think instead I'll just make a concerted effort to pay more attention to those areas during my exercising as well. It's all about honoring the body that God has given me!
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Legs Do It! Challenge - Week 3 Update
I altered my original plan a bit from what I wanted to do just based on how the week went. No worries, however, because my weight is finally moving back down and my legs feel like they've gotten a workout this week - which means I did something right!
Here's the snapshot of the attention my legs got this week:
Monday/Wednesday: Strength
I did 22 minutes on the bike on both of these days, followed by a routine on the weight machines. I did increase my weight on one more machine this week, so this means that my legs are getting stronger. I am VERY excited about this!
Thursday: Run-ning (like Forest Gump... ha!)
Thursday is Youth Group day, which means my time is crunched. I went to work and used the treadmill there to get some time in on my walk/jog routine (I'm trying to increase my time until I can jog for the straight half-hour; I'm almost there, I did 18 jogging minutes and 12 walking minutes). Here's why I'm counting running as some attention my legs get and not just general cardio: every time I jog (I'm not quite at "running" yet, I don't think), my legs feel like they've been beaten. I never ran much growing up, so training myself to do something new is good but means muscles that don't normally get used - get used. And appreciate it. And show me that by being sore.
Yay!
Friday: ZUMBA!!!
Zumba is a full body work-out, but your legs get a ton of attention because you're dancing. And your soul gets some attention because you're having fun too - especially when you're doing it with other beautiful women who you love dearly (it was part of our Youth Group girls' night, my great friend Priscila was recently certified and taught an amazing class). LOVE IT! We went for about 50 minutes or so, and I think I could have done another half hour easily!
Saturday: Sculpting/Stretching:
This morning I got up and did:
- 35 jumping jacks
- 10 burpies (which are hard, and look like this)
- 25 lunges w/ 3.5 lb. weights
- 20 squats with body weight
- 20 side leg-lifts per leg
- 20 front (flat) leg-lifts per leg
- 10 minutes of old-school color guard stretching focusing on my legs
When I did these, I put my Pandora on the "Just Dance" station I have; there's something empowering about doing exercises to songs like "Sexy Can I" (Warning: explicit lyrics!).
I feel great - probably the best I have all month. Excited for next week - going to give it my all and go into my Disney vacation feeling amazing, I can feel it!
Hopefully next week I can give myself a gold star.
Here's the snapshot of the attention my legs got this week:
Monday/Wednesday: Strength
I did 22 minutes on the bike on both of these days, followed by a routine on the weight machines. I did increase my weight on one more machine this week, so this means that my legs are getting stronger. I am VERY excited about this!
Thursday: Run-ning (like Forest Gump... ha!)
Thursday is Youth Group day, which means my time is crunched. I went to work and used the treadmill there to get some time in on my walk/jog routine (I'm trying to increase my time until I can jog for the straight half-hour; I'm almost there, I did 18 jogging minutes and 12 walking minutes). Here's why I'm counting running as some attention my legs get and not just general cardio: every time I jog (I'm not quite at "running" yet, I don't think), my legs feel like they've been beaten. I never ran much growing up, so training myself to do something new is good but means muscles that don't normally get used - get used. And appreciate it. And show me that by being sore.
Yay!
Friday: ZUMBA!!!
Zumba is a full body work-out, but your legs get a ton of attention because you're dancing. And your soul gets some attention because you're having fun too - especially when you're doing it with other beautiful women who you love dearly (it was part of our Youth Group girls' night, my great friend Priscila was recently certified and taught an amazing class). LOVE IT! We went for about 50 minutes or so, and I think I could have done another half hour easily!
Saturday: Sculpting/Stretching:
This morning I got up and did:
- 35 jumping jacks
- 10 burpies (which are hard, and look like this)
- 25 lunges w/ 3.5 lb. weights
- 20 squats with body weight
- 20 side leg-lifts per leg
- 20 front (flat) leg-lifts per leg
- 10 minutes of old-school color guard stretching focusing on my legs
When I did these, I put my Pandora on the "Just Dance" station I have; there's something empowering about doing exercises to songs like "Sexy Can I" (Warning: explicit lyrics!).
I feel great - probably the best I have all month. Excited for next week - going to give it my all and go into my Disney vacation feeling amazing, I can feel it!
Hopefully next week I can give myself a gold star.
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Adventures at the ENT - Part 2
Yesterday was the reading of my CT scans at my ENT specialist. I left work at 1:30 for my 2:10 appointment, CD copy of the CT scans in my hand ready for review. I checked in with the nurse, paid my co-pay, and read some more of "A Farewell to Arms" while I waited for my turn. While I read, I had a simple reminder that I was in an ENT specialist's office was the man sitting next to me making the worst sinus noises ever. I felt awful for him - hopefully the doc was able to give him something to help.
Anyways.
When it was my turn the doctor took the CD into his office and started to look at the pictures of my head and sinuses. Then he called me into his office to take a look over his shoulder so I could also see what was going on. He explained to me what was my nose, showed me where my septum is deviated, and then pointed out my sinuses. I was encouraged when he pointed out that the black was air and advised that "that's what we like to see - a good amount of black". He then pointed out where there were areas of congestion in my sinus walls that were not normal; one of the shots had a good comparison of a "normal" area - then a not so normal one which he advised was "ten times normal size".
After going through about 10-15 of the many shots of my head with me (well over 150) he said that it looks like mild-moderate chronic sinusitis. He was glad to see based on my scans that it is not severe - and I was glad to hear him SAY that it isn't severe. We left his office and went back to the exam room to discuss next steps. He looked over my chart and the notes he had taken over the last couple of appointments, asked if I was allergic to any antibiotics, and announced what the next step would be.
For the next 4 weeks, I will be taking antibiotics (Augmentin) and continue my Flonase treatments. Then I will be off the medication for 2 weeks to see if the symptoms are over, and see him again on April 1. This means that I need to be paying SUPER close attention to my sinuses over the next month so I can see if I notice any improvement or changes during those 2 weeks. It also means that I need to be paying super close attention to my food intake for the next month because antibiotics clean you out - and they CLEAN YOU OUT - so I need to be sure to replace my good bacteria with what I eat and drink lots of fluids to keep me hydrated.
A little bit of a lifestyle change for the next month or so - but - at least we're onto whatever it is that's causing my head to feel like that giant nose from the old Afrin commercials.
Anyways.
When it was my turn the doctor took the CD into his office and started to look at the pictures of my head and sinuses. Then he called me into his office to take a look over his shoulder so I could also see what was going on. He explained to me what was my nose, showed me where my septum is deviated, and then pointed out my sinuses. I was encouraged when he pointed out that the black was air and advised that "that's what we like to see - a good amount of black". He then pointed out where there were areas of congestion in my sinus walls that were not normal; one of the shots had a good comparison of a "normal" area - then a not so normal one which he advised was "ten times normal size".
After going through about 10-15 of the many shots of my head with me (well over 150) he said that it looks like mild-moderate chronic sinusitis. He was glad to see based on my scans that it is not severe - and I was glad to hear him SAY that it isn't severe. We left his office and went back to the exam room to discuss next steps. He looked over my chart and the notes he had taken over the last couple of appointments, asked if I was allergic to any antibiotics, and announced what the next step would be.
For the next 4 weeks, I will be taking antibiotics (Augmentin) and continue my Flonase treatments. Then I will be off the medication for 2 weeks to see if the symptoms are over, and see him again on April 1. This means that I need to be paying SUPER close attention to my sinuses over the next month so I can see if I notice any improvement or changes during those 2 weeks. It also means that I need to be paying super close attention to my food intake for the next month because antibiotics clean you out - and they CLEAN YOU OUT - so I need to be sure to replace my good bacteria with what I eat and drink lots of fluids to keep me hydrated.
A little bit of a lifestyle change for the next month or so - but - at least we're onto whatever it is that's causing my head to feel like that giant nose from the old Afrin commercials.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Fish as a Community Model
I think that anyone who has ever owned a pet will attest to the unexpected intelligence and acts of emotion you get from them. These acts can make you laugh or touch your heart; whether it's the protective dog or the cat who will nuzzle with you just when you need it the most, there's no doubting that pets have that capacity build into them innately.
Steve and I have a 90 gallon aquarium (anything that large no longer qualifies as a standard "tank") that at some point in time we think we would like to not have anymore (it's a bit cumbersome to manage - cleaning it is an afternoon endeavor, never mind it's an extra piece of furniture). In the meantime - there are still fish that live in it so we feed them, clean the tank, and just watch them live in their little community. When Steve originally got the tank 6 years ago, it was home to Jag, Tex, Cat, Mouthful, Mom, and baby Domino (I might be missing one, but I'm not sure).
Domino grew up and he & Mom had several litters of babies themselves. Watching them parent was a really cool thing; they would make sure their babies stayed herded together and work to save them from certain death by being eaten by the other fish or burying themselves in the rocks. While Mom would gather food and chew/spit it out so the babies could eat, Domino would protect the babies by warding off the other fish when they would get too close. Out of at least 3 litters of babies, we did have one survivor for a time who we named Genie. Genie died after we moved to our current apartment; the move spooked the other fish and one of the larger fish (we presume Jag) ate him.
Over time, the tank whittled down to just Jag, Mom, and a new addition Spunky. Spunky started out as a bit of a misnomer; when we first got him, he would just hang out in one corner of the tank and not do a thing. He wouldn't even swim to the top for food because he was afraid of Mom & Jag. Then one day, Spunky lived up to his name and started trying to play... with Jag. Jag is our big old curmudgeon in the tank; he's very much the "Get off my lawn" old man fish. When Spunky would come over to Jag's little hole and try to play... needless to say, Jag did not like that at all.
Well... fish or human, when you live together for a while you become family.
Mom is the oldest of our fish, hands down. These fish have a standard lifespan of about 5-6 years; she's 7. She's had a lot of babies, which makes her very tired for a fish. Saturday night when I went to feed them, I noticed she was not floating about horizontal; she was floating on a diagonal. I pointed it out to Steve, who reminded me that she's old and probably on her last legs (or fins... whatever). Later that night as we were heading to bed, I noticed that she was swimming about the tank. Because of how she'd been recently - kind of "quiet" and in her little hole - I took pause to watch what she was up to and called Steve over to watch too. She swam past Jag, who came out of his hole and nuzzled against her side. She swam to the top and nibbled at a stray piece of food; Jag stayed at her side the entire time. As she went back to her hole with Jag right behind her, Spunky took notice of what was going on. Before long, Mom was back to her spot and Jag (who never leaves his old man house) and Spunky (who, while full of energy during the day, is usually super still at night) were on either side of her.
We stood amazed at the love these three fish have for each other.
When we woke up in the morning, Jag & Spunky had returned to their normal spots... and we noticed that Mom was passed away; gently laid on a fallen filter piece in the back of the tank*. Steve reached in to remove her from the tank, and Jag & Spunky came out and just watched him. This was unique because the net usually spooks them back to their spots, but they literally just floated there watching as he removed Mom from the tank. Their behavior was not the same for a couple of days; the most touching moment of the morning was when Steve tried to offer them food... because he copes by stress eating, he thought the fish might want a snack.
It has been amazing with this aquarium over the last few years to watch as God's creatures live, love, play, and mourn. Anyone who thinks that fish are mostly just for show should set up a community tank and observe as they form that community and support one another - til death do they part, with unconditional love.
*No matter how many times we put it back on, Spunky takes it off and puts it there. We've given up; clearly that's where he wants it.
Steve and I have a 90 gallon aquarium (anything that large no longer qualifies as a standard "tank") that at some point in time we think we would like to not have anymore (it's a bit cumbersome to manage - cleaning it is an afternoon endeavor, never mind it's an extra piece of furniture). In the meantime - there are still fish that live in it so we feed them, clean the tank, and just watch them live in their little community. When Steve originally got the tank 6 years ago, it was home to Jag, Tex, Cat, Mouthful, Mom, and baby Domino (I might be missing one, but I'm not sure).
Domino grew up and he & Mom had several litters of babies themselves. Watching them parent was a really cool thing; they would make sure their babies stayed herded together and work to save them from certain death by being eaten by the other fish or burying themselves in the rocks. While Mom would gather food and chew/spit it out so the babies could eat, Domino would protect the babies by warding off the other fish when they would get too close. Out of at least 3 litters of babies, we did have one survivor for a time who we named Genie. Genie died after we moved to our current apartment; the move spooked the other fish and one of the larger fish (we presume Jag) ate him.
Domino, Mom, & Babies
Over time, the tank whittled down to just Jag, Mom, and a new addition Spunky. Spunky started out as a bit of a misnomer; when we first got him, he would just hang out in one corner of the tank and not do a thing. He wouldn't even swim to the top for food because he was afraid of Mom & Jag. Then one day, Spunky lived up to his name and started trying to play... with Jag. Jag is our big old curmudgeon in the tank; he's very much the "Get off my lawn" old man fish. When Spunky would come over to Jag's little hole and try to play... needless to say, Jag did not like that at all.
Well... fish or human, when you live together for a while you become family.
Mom is the oldest of our fish, hands down. These fish have a standard lifespan of about 5-6 years; she's 7. She's had a lot of babies, which makes her very tired for a fish. Saturday night when I went to feed them, I noticed she was not floating about horizontal; she was floating on a diagonal. I pointed it out to Steve, who reminded me that she's old and probably on her last legs (or fins... whatever). Later that night as we were heading to bed, I noticed that she was swimming about the tank. Because of how she'd been recently - kind of "quiet" and in her little hole - I took pause to watch what she was up to and called Steve over to watch too. She swam past Jag, who came out of his hole and nuzzled against her side. She swam to the top and nibbled at a stray piece of food; Jag stayed at her side the entire time. As she went back to her hole with Jag right behind her, Spunky took notice of what was going on. Before long, Mom was back to her spot and Jag (who never leaves his old man house) and Spunky (who, while full of energy during the day, is usually super still at night) were on either side of her.
We stood amazed at the love these three fish have for each other.
Jag & Spunky at Mom's side - 2/13/10
It has been amazing with this aquarium over the last few years to watch as God's creatures live, love, play, and mourn. Anyone who thinks that fish are mostly just for show should set up a community tank and observe as they form that community and support one another - til death do they part, with unconditional love.
*No matter how many times we put it back on, Spunky takes it off and puts it there. We've given up; clearly that's where he wants it.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
"Legs Do It" & Adventures With My ENT - Double Update!
So - confession time.
Last week was an overall bust for Danielle with the "Legs Do It" challenge. I did my first day of paying attention to my legs on Tuesday (lunges, steps, etc.) - and then I ran into issues.
I think I mentioned in my first post about my sinus issues that I have a routine that I follow every night in terms of making sure I don't run into any problems. Well I ran out of Sudafed and didn't get to get to the store to get any, so I went two days without. I could feel this starting to catch up with me - and then I didn't give myself enough "upright" time with my nasal rinse. By Wednesday my sinuses were not in a good place, Friday I could feel myself starting to fight a cold on top of it - and Saturday I had a massive headache (probably unrelated, but still not a help).
Needless to say - we learned about what happens when Danielle strays from her routine that took her forever to arrive at. And while I did get to the gym, I did not get in the amount of leg-specific work that I wanted to. I got some time in on the elliptical just so that I could stay active - and was happy with that.
To close out the ENT update: I had a CT scan on 5th and was given a CD. Tomorrow afternoon I meet with my ENT doctor to go over the scans and see if I am to proceed on to meet with an allergist or not.
Now - On to the "Legs Do It!" challenge!
Monday/Wednesday: Strength
- 20 minutes on the bike (since that is concentrating mainly on the legs)
- Weight Machines (I was excited yesterday to note that my weight is increasing on a couple of machines - that made me happy).
Friday: Sculpting
- 25-30 lunges per leg (Going to see if I can push it - I didn't get much pain last week)
- 40 jumping jacks
- 100 steps/leg on the plyobox
- 15 minutes lower body ONLY on the Elliptical trainer (3 min. intervals front-back)
Saturday: Strength
- 30 minutes on the Elliptical
- Weight Machines
Stretching:
Rather than dedicate just one day for stretching, I am going to make sure I stretch every day both in the morning and at night. I find that I don't really have a good place to do Yoga at home, so this will be the best way for me to stretch I think.
That's that! Let's see if I can manage to follow this a bit better this week, shall we?
Last week was an overall bust for Danielle with the "Legs Do It" challenge. I did my first day of paying attention to my legs on Tuesday (lunges, steps, etc.) - and then I ran into issues.
I think I mentioned in my first post about my sinus issues that I have a routine that I follow every night in terms of making sure I don't run into any problems. Well I ran out of Sudafed and didn't get to get to the store to get any, so I went two days without. I could feel this starting to catch up with me - and then I didn't give myself enough "upright" time with my nasal rinse. By Wednesday my sinuses were not in a good place, Friday I could feel myself starting to fight a cold on top of it - and Saturday I had a massive headache (probably unrelated, but still not a help).
Needless to say - we learned about what happens when Danielle strays from her routine that took her forever to arrive at. And while I did get to the gym, I did not get in the amount of leg-specific work that I wanted to. I got some time in on the elliptical just so that I could stay active - and was happy with that.
To close out the ENT update: I had a CT scan on 5th and was given a CD. Tomorrow afternoon I meet with my ENT doctor to go over the scans and see if I am to proceed on to meet with an allergist or not.
Now - On to the "Legs Do It!" challenge!
Monday/Wednesday: Strength
- 20 minutes on the bike (since that is concentrating mainly on the legs)
- Weight Machines (I was excited yesterday to note that my weight is increasing on a couple of machines - that made me happy).
Friday: Sculpting
- 25-30 lunges per leg (Going to see if I can push it - I didn't get much pain last week)
- 40 jumping jacks
- 100 steps/leg on the plyobox
- 15 minutes lower body ONLY on the Elliptical trainer (3 min. intervals front-back)
Saturday: Strength
- 30 minutes on the Elliptical
- Weight Machines
Stretching:
Rather than dedicate just one day for stretching, I am going to make sure I stretch every day both in the morning and at night. I find that I don't really have a good place to do Yoga at home, so this will be the best way for me to stretch I think.
That's that! Let's see if I can manage to follow this a bit better this week, shall we?
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Fun with the Pomelo
While perusing the produce section at Shaw's, Steve & I decided that we wanted to try a pomelo - a large, yellow citrus fruit that neither of us had ever tried (that we could recall). We threw one in our basket and brought it home with the intent to cut into it as our dessert while watching a movie.
About halfway through Adam Sandler's "Bedtime Stories", we decided it was time to bust out the large fruit. Steve cut the pomelo in half, put each half in a bowl and brought it over to the couch for our consumption. After eating the fruit, deciding it was quite good, and hearing Steve proclaim that he "must have pomelo all the time" - I looked at the two halves of rind sitting in our bowls. It was about a half of an inch thick and very pithy; I heard a voice in the back of my head that sounded a lot like my friend Marie saying "Wow, that would make a good batch of candied peel...".
I got to work - but not before Steve decided I needed to take a couple of pictures to give a perspective of exactly what the size of a pomelo is.
This of course made me wonder why boys always have to pretend they have female parts and make a produce bra every time time the opportunity arises. However - I let it go after laughing at my goofy husband and proceeded to make the candied peel.
I cut the rind up in different sizes and put it in a pot with 3 cups water and 3 cups sugar (aka 1 part water + 1 part sugar = simple syrup). Steve stirred it all together and we brought that up to a simmer. We let it continue to bubble while we watched the rest of the movie.
When the peel became translucent, I transferred it onto a cooling rack to let the excess syrup drip off and allow it to cool and congeal. We sampled a couple of the small pieces that we took out of the pan and it - like the fruit itself - is quite delicious. It might be my favorite candied peel I've tried so far.
In addition to all that wonderful peel, this endeavor also made a small batch of pomelo syrup (as one would expect when you're simmering rind in simple syrup for an hour). It was also tasty and has been saved for tomorrow morning's coconut waffles that we'll be having.
The batch of candied peel completely filled one of the medium size (4-cup) Pyrex containers (the peel has to be stored in an airtight container in the fridge). Not bad for just one piece of fruit. We didn't take the option to roll it in sugar because we used the last of the sugar in the house to make it - but it's super tasty with out it.
About halfway through Adam Sandler's "Bedtime Stories", we decided it was time to bust out the large fruit. Steve cut the pomelo in half, put each half in a bowl and brought it over to the couch for our consumption. After eating the fruit, deciding it was quite good, and hearing Steve proclaim that he "must have pomelo all the time" - I looked at the two halves of rind sitting in our bowls. It was about a half of an inch thick and very pithy; I heard a voice in the back of my head that sounded a lot like my friend Marie saying "Wow, that would make a good batch of candied peel...".
I got to work - but not before Steve decided I needed to take a couple of pictures to give a perspective of exactly what the size of a pomelo is.
This of course made me wonder why boys always have to pretend they have female parts and make a produce bra every time time the opportunity arises. However - I let it go after laughing at my goofy husband and proceeded to make the candied peel.
I cut the rind up in different sizes and put it in a pot with 3 cups water and 3 cups sugar (aka 1 part water + 1 part sugar = simple syrup). Steve stirred it all together and we brought that up to a simmer. We let it continue to bubble while we watched the rest of the movie.
When the peel became translucent, I transferred it onto a cooling rack to let the excess syrup drip off and allow it to cool and congeal. We sampled a couple of the small pieces that we took out of the pan and it - like the fruit itself - is quite delicious. It might be my favorite candied peel I've tried so far.
In addition to all that wonderful peel, this endeavor also made a small batch of pomelo syrup (as one would expect when you're simmering rind in simple syrup for an hour). It was also tasty and has been saved for tomorrow morning's coconut waffles that we'll be having.
The batch of candied peel completely filled one of the medium size (4-cup) Pyrex containers (the peel has to be stored in an airtight container in the fridge). Not bad for just one piece of fruit. We didn't take the option to roll it in sugar because we used the last of the sugar in the house to make it - but it's super tasty with out it.
Friday, February 12, 2010
Simple Delicious Egg Sandwich
I worked from home again on Wednesday (thanks Snow-Storm-That-Wasn't!) which meant I got my pick of whatever struck my fancy at the moment for lunch again. I decided to make myself a small sandwich with just a few simple ingredients that we had in the fridge. And now - I share it with you!
Boursin Breakfast Sammich
Ingredients:
- 1 slice of your favorite bread (I used Nature's Pride Double Fiber Whole Wheat)
- 1/4 cup Egg Beaters
- 1/2 tablespoon Boursin Garlic & Herb Spread
Method:
- Place bread in toaster to your preferred toast setting
- Pour Egg Beaters in microwave safe bowl. Cook for 1 minute in microwave, flip in bowl, cook for additional 30 seconds.
- When toast pops, cut in half and immediately spread Boursin on one of the halfs.
- Remove egg from bowl and put on toast. Make into a sandwich.
This sounds incredibly simple, but it is so stinkin' good and the way that I made it is only 160 calories. Steve was released from work early and went to the gym while I worked; I made him one when he got back. He was sure to let me know that it was "stellar". I also tweeted about the sandwich after I took a bite and realized it was delicious - and it was re-tweeted by Natures_Pride (the bread people) with the comment "Nice Combo!". I thought that was pretty darn cool too, especially considering I didn't even know that they had a Twitter account.
Try it out yourself and let me know what you think!
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Book Review - "I Wish You Enough" by Bob Perks
I just finished reading the book I Wish You Enough: Embracing Life's Most Valuable Moments One Wish at a Time by Bob Perks. This is a small gift book containing several anecdotes that are meant to inspire us to make the most of life's precious moments.
The book begins by Perks describing an encounter he had at an airport with a gentleman who is saying good-bye to his daughter. The author overheard him say to her "I wish you enough" as they were parting ways, and this stirred his curiosity. He was touched when after asking what the words meant, the man gave Perks the wishes that had been handed down his family from generation to generation:
From that jump-off point, Perks proceeds to relate several anecdotes around each individual line of wishing. Each section of inspirational stories begins with the wish set against the backdrop of a beautiful photograph with the prose printed against a background that ties in with the graphic theme set for the wish. As far as the stories themselves go, each story is touching and inspirational in its own way - several of them even caused me to tear up a bit! There are several reminders of how God loves us and uses His people to do His work and spread His love, as well as several nuggets of wisdom to take to heart and remember as we go about our days. My favorite of these nuggets was "God feeds the smallest bird, but He doesn't throw the food into the nest. That is why He gave them wings."
The book was wonderful and I enjoyed taking in each one of the inspirational anecdotes that Perks relates. This would be a fabulous gift for that friend who is down on life and needs a lift or reminder about how God is working to make the world around us wonderful, or maybe to someone who just needs an ounce of hope.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
The book begins by Perks describing an encounter he had at an airport with a gentleman who is saying good-bye to his daughter. The author overheard him say to her "I wish you enough" as they were parting ways, and this stirred his curiosity. He was touched when after asking what the words meant, the man gave Perks the wishes that had been handed down his family from generation to generation:
"I wish you enough sun to keep your attitude bright.
I wish you enough rain to appreciate the sun more.
I wish you enough happiness to keep your spirit alive.
I wish you enough pain so that the smallest joys in life appear much bigger.
I wish you enough gain to satisfy your wanting.
I wish you enough loss to appreciate all that you possess.
I wish enough hellos to get you through the final good-bye."
From that jump-off point, Perks proceeds to relate several anecdotes around each individual line of wishing. Each section of inspirational stories begins with the wish set against the backdrop of a beautiful photograph with the prose printed against a background that ties in with the graphic theme set for the wish. As far as the stories themselves go, each story is touching and inspirational in its own way - several of them even caused me to tear up a bit! There are several reminders of how God loves us and uses His people to do His work and spread His love, as well as several nuggets of wisdom to take to heart and remember as we go about our days. My favorite of these nuggets was "God feeds the smallest bird, but He doesn't throw the food into the nest. That is why He gave them wings."
The book was wonderful and I enjoyed taking in each one of the inspirational anecdotes that Perks relates. This would be a fabulous gift for that friend who is down on life and needs a lift or reminder about how God is working to make the world around us wonderful, or maybe to someone who just needs an ounce of hope.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Howahya?
This morning I decided to eat breakfast at work. I typically don't like to do this because I'm very particular about how I eat my cereal. I prefer it in a glass bowl, with a metal spoon, and very cold milk (see what I mean). When I decide to eat my breakfast at work, I pack it in a Pyrex bowl, keep the milk very close to my ice pack in my lunch sack, and bring my own spoon.
Today I forgot my spoon.
As it turns out this is the least important of the criteria I prefer for my cereal, so while my laptop booted up I walked down to the cafeteria to grab 2 spoons (one for my yogurt later). I opened the drawer, pulled out 2 spoons, and as I was closing the drawer I heard a cheerful "Good morning, Danielle!".
I looked up to see the coworker whose cubicle is diagonally connected to mine. We often say a Gopher Hello (meaning our heads pop up from the cube farm) and have talked about our respective churches on occasion. "Well good morning to you - how are you today?"
He paused. "OK. Yeah. I'm OK."
I said "Well, that's certainly better than lousy - so it's a great start, right?"
He laughed a bit. "Yeah, that's true..." Then as we were walking back to our cubicles he told me this story:
"There's an 86 year old guy who goes to our gym. Swims, works out, great shape. I saw him the other day and I said 'Hey, how are you?'"
I looked up at my coworker (he's very tall) and watched his face light up as he told the rest of this brief story. "When he answered he said: 'Better today than yesterday, but not as good as tomorrow!' Isn't that awesome?"
Better today than yesterday. Not as good as tomorrow.
I had to agree - that is an AMAZING answer to have. What a great outlook on life! To know that each day can bring new and exciting adventures, to always think that the only way to go is up - no matter what the circumstances. There is a lot of credit to be given and something to be said for someone who has that kind of positivity.
Talk about living fully!
That man whom I've never met is now my inspiration for today. I am sitting up a little straighter in my cubicle knowing that today I can be better than yesterday. That tomorrow will be better than today. That no matter what the circumstances, I can find something positive, some area of growth, some way to love someone. While I don't know if I can quite say I'm at the point yet to be like that every day - I can at least start to turn my attitude in that direction. I can practice starting now.
How are you today?
Today I forgot my spoon.
As it turns out this is the least important of the criteria I prefer for my cereal, so while my laptop booted up I walked down to the cafeteria to grab 2 spoons (one for my yogurt later). I opened the drawer, pulled out 2 spoons, and as I was closing the drawer I heard a cheerful "Good morning, Danielle!".
I looked up to see the coworker whose cubicle is diagonally connected to mine. We often say a Gopher Hello (meaning our heads pop up from the cube farm) and have talked about our respective churches on occasion. "Well good morning to you - how are you today?"
He paused. "OK. Yeah. I'm OK."
I said "Well, that's certainly better than lousy - so it's a great start, right?"
He laughed a bit. "Yeah, that's true..." Then as we were walking back to our cubicles he told me this story:
"There's an 86 year old guy who goes to our gym. Swims, works out, great shape. I saw him the other day and I said 'Hey, how are you?'"
I looked up at my coworker (he's very tall) and watched his face light up as he told the rest of this brief story. "When he answered he said: 'Better today than yesterday, but not as good as tomorrow!' Isn't that awesome?"
Better today than yesterday. Not as good as tomorrow.
I had to agree - that is an AMAZING answer to have. What a great outlook on life! To know that each day can bring new and exciting adventures, to always think that the only way to go is up - no matter what the circumstances. There is a lot of credit to be given and something to be said for someone who has that kind of positivity.
Talk about living fully!
That man whom I've never met is now my inspiration for today. I am sitting up a little straighter in my cubicle knowing that today I can be better than yesterday. That tomorrow will be better than today. That no matter what the circumstances, I can find something positive, some area of growth, some way to love someone. While I don't know if I can quite say I'm at the point yet to be like that every day - I can at least start to turn my attitude in that direction. I can practice starting now.
How are you today?
Monday, February 8, 2010
If I Had Wings...
Do you ever wonder why things are the way they are in the world?
You turn to God, and you no matter how hard you try tune in - you just can't hear Him.
Wouldn't it be amazing if we had wings... if we could just soar up there, land at His feet and ask him.
Why are things hard in life? Why do I suffer? How can I tell when it's You challenging me or the Devil tempting me away from you? What's it like to be in heaven?
What is my purpose, God? What is my gift to give Your people?
Things to think about.
You turn to God, and you no matter how hard you try tune in - you just can't hear Him.
Wouldn't it be amazing if we had wings... if we could just soar up there, land at His feet and ask him.
Why are things hard in life? Why do I suffer? How can I tell when it's You challenging me or the Devil tempting me away from you? What's it like to be in heaven?
What is my purpose, God? What is my gift to give Your people?
Things to think about.
"Legs Do It!" Challenge - Update!
Last week was the first week of the "Legs Do It!" Challenge - and my legs are on their way to getting whipped into shape. Here's where I landed:
Monday (Sculpting): I went to the gym after work and did the following (which was a slight modification, but still a good workout) -
8 minute elliptical warm-up
25 lunges per leg
35 jumping jacks
15 minutes on the elliptical, alternating every 5 minutes between backwards and forwards using ONLY lower body (no arms)
100 steps total (50 up on each leg) on the plyobox. For those of you who don't know what that is, here is a picture. I did the steps on the smallest one, which is about a foot tall (higher than a normal stair):
Tuesday (Stretching): Tuesday I did the Yoga video that I mentioned in my previous post and I learned that Yoga was hard. However, I also learned some life lessons when I reflected on my first Yoga experience - and that was awesome.
Thursday/Saturday (Strength): After a quick warm-up, I did some work on strengthening my legs using the weight machines at Planet Fitness (where I have my gym membership).
Challenging my legs was awesome and they felt great come Sunday. However - I am noticing that my upper body and core feel neglected, which means I need to be sure I'm incorporating those into my routine pretty soon as well.
Here's what my plan is for this week:
Tuesday: Sculpting - I will be repeating the same series of things I did above, as I was incredibly sore and felt that it gave my legs a good challenge.
Wednesday: Stretching - I'm not sure if I'll do the same Yoga video or find a more novice one to use. We shall see. Wednesday is supposed to be a snowy day, so that might be a good day for Yoga.
Thursday/Saturday: Strength - Same as last week. Potentially upping the weight on a couple of the machines depending on how I feel after sculpting. Last week it took from Monday night when I did it until Friday to stop being sore. But it'll be worth it!!!
Monday (Sculpting): I went to the gym after work and did the following (which was a slight modification, but still a good workout) -
8 minute elliptical warm-up
25 lunges per leg
35 jumping jacks
15 minutes on the elliptical, alternating every 5 minutes between backwards and forwards using ONLY lower body (no arms)
100 steps total (50 up on each leg) on the plyobox. For those of you who don't know what that is, here is a picture. I did the steps on the smallest one, which is about a foot tall (higher than a normal stair):
Thursday/Saturday (Strength): After a quick warm-up, I did some work on strengthening my legs using the weight machines at Planet Fitness (where I have my gym membership).
Challenging my legs was awesome and they felt great come Sunday. However - I am noticing that my upper body and core feel neglected, which means I need to be sure I'm incorporating those into my routine pretty soon as well.
Here's what my plan is for this week:
Tuesday: Sculpting - I will be repeating the same series of things I did above, as I was incredibly sore and felt that it gave my legs a good challenge.
Wednesday: Stretching - I'm not sure if I'll do the same Yoga video or find a more novice one to use. We shall see. Wednesday is supposed to be a snowy day, so that might be a good day for Yoga.
Thursday/Saturday: Strength - Same as last week. Potentially upping the weight on a couple of the machines depending on how I feel after sculpting. Last week it took from Monday night when I did it until Friday to stop being sore. But it'll be worth it!!!
Friday, February 5, 2010
Waste Not Want Not - New Cookie Recipe!
Last night as I was packing my lunch for today, I noticed that there were 2 bananas that were at that point of ripe that they would either need to be pitched or used in some sort of baked good. 2 bananas is one banana short of making a good banana bread (much to my brother's dismay), so that was out of the question. Then while I was in the shower this morning I decided I would give a whirl at creating a cookie recipe with them.
It worked fabulously! And since I'm participating in Thing-A-Day again this year, it doubled as my "thing" that I created for today. And so without further a-do, may I present to you....
Ingredients:
- 1-1/4 cup unbleached flour
- 1-1/4 cup oat bran (I used Old Wessex brand)
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp nutmeg
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/3 cup toasted coconut
- 1/3 cup slivered almonds or chopped walnuts
- 2 ripe bananas, mashed
- 1/4 cup water
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
Method:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- Combine first 7 ingredients in large bowl (flour through nuts). Create a well in the middle and set aside.
- Combine last 3 ingredients in small bowl (bananas through brown sugar). Pour into well in dry ingredients and combine, making sure not to over-stir.
- Using a spoon, scoop about 1.5-2" dollups of batter onto the cookie sheet.
- Bake for 9 minutes, rotate cookie sheet 180 degrees, cook for another 9 minutes.
- Remove from oven and let cool 5 minutes on cookie sheet before moving to cooling rack.
These cookies are pretty darn good - and they passed the ever-important "Husband Taste Test". If you try them, let me know how yours turn out!
It worked fabulously! And since I'm participating in Thing-A-Day again this year, it doubled as my "thing" that I created for today. And so without further a-do, may I present to you....
Danielle's Banana Oat Bran Cookies!
Ingredients:
- 1-1/4 cup unbleached flour
- 1-1/4 cup oat bran (I used Old Wessex brand)
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp nutmeg
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/3 cup toasted coconut
- 1/3 cup slivered almonds or chopped walnuts
- 2 ripe bananas, mashed
- 1/4 cup water
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
Method:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- Combine first 7 ingredients in large bowl (flour through nuts). Create a well in the middle and set aside.
- Combine last 3 ingredients in small bowl (bananas through brown sugar). Pour into well in dry ingredients and combine, making sure not to over-stir.
- Using a spoon, scoop about 1.5-2" dollups of batter onto the cookie sheet.
- Bake for 9 minutes, rotate cookie sheet 180 degrees, cook for another 9 minutes.
- Remove from oven and let cool 5 minutes on cookie sheet before moving to cooling rack.
These cookies are pretty darn good - and they passed the ever-important "Husband Taste Test". If you try them, let me know how yours turn out!
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
The Core Powerhouse
I attempted my first Yoga workout this week. I say attempted, because I learned that 1) I am not terribly flexible and 2) I am do not have enough balance to be successful in Yoga at the outset. I will say that the free online video I used was pretty good. The instructor was encouraging and offered options for both beginners and intermediate "Yogi".
As I was flopping around on our office carpet trying desperately to contort myself in the different positions presented, I tried to pay attention to what she was saying. As I was touching my ankle with one hand while the other was in the air, I couldn't help but take pause as she pointed to the center of her body and said "Remember to focus on your core. Make it nice and strong. The core is your powerhouse. Remember that."
This, of course, got me thinking about my "core". I know that my core is not as strong as it could be. I don't remember to do my ab workout every night. I often forget to maintain proper posture when I'm sitting or walking or standing. I don't focus nearly enough on strengthening and taking care of my core. Long-term, this is not good for my body and can cause all sorts of health and wellness problems. If I care about my well-being, I need to start paying more attention to the care I give to my body's core.
That of course got me thinking about Jesus.
In my daily life, I work to try to keep Jesus at the center. Of work. Of my marriage. Of the areas I serve in. Everything. But sometimes I forget. I'll slouch in the acts of living out my faith, or I'll forget to spend time in God's word when I wake up in the morning. Like our "core" is the center of our body, Jesus is to be the "core" or center of our lives. We are to turn our eyes to Him, to focus on Him, to make our relationship and walk with him nice and strong.
He is our powerhouse. And if we don't take care of our powerhouse by spending time in God's word, spending time in prayer, repenting of our sins, and living as Christ has called us to live - we are not taking care of our core. We are neglecting our powerhouse. And like our body's core, long-term this is not good for our soul, for our spiritual health, and is detrimental to our well-being.
I find myself - as I often do - with the harsh realization that I need to be super diligent about taking care of my cores. My physical and spiritual cores are important to the whole of me, and when they are not strong I am weak. When I can hold myself up with a strong physical core, look to the heavens and wave to Jesus knowing I'm not neglecting Him - then I will be in a much better place. I will have attained a true Core Powerhouse.
But I cannot say with confidence that either of my cores are strong; there are too many times in my life that I continue to be complacent. I will follow the words of the instructor in the Yoga video. I will continue to practice and not give up. Before I know it, I will have an amazing Core Powerhouse.
As I was flopping around on our office carpet trying desperately to contort myself in the different positions presented, I tried to pay attention to what she was saying. As I was touching my ankle with one hand while the other was in the air, I couldn't help but take pause as she pointed to the center of her body and said "Remember to focus on your core. Make it nice and strong. The core is your powerhouse. Remember that."
This, of course, got me thinking about my "core". I know that my core is not as strong as it could be. I don't remember to do my ab workout every night. I often forget to maintain proper posture when I'm sitting or walking or standing. I don't focus nearly enough on strengthening and taking care of my core. Long-term, this is not good for my body and can cause all sorts of health and wellness problems. If I care about my well-being, I need to start paying more attention to the care I give to my body's core.
That of course got me thinking about Jesus.
In my daily life, I work to try to keep Jesus at the center. Of work. Of my marriage. Of the areas I serve in. Everything. But sometimes I forget. I'll slouch in the acts of living out my faith, or I'll forget to spend time in God's word when I wake up in the morning. Like our "core" is the center of our body, Jesus is to be the "core" or center of our lives. We are to turn our eyes to Him, to focus on Him, to make our relationship and walk with him nice and strong.
He is our powerhouse. And if we don't take care of our powerhouse by spending time in God's word, spending time in prayer, repenting of our sins, and living as Christ has called us to live - we are not taking care of our core. We are neglecting our powerhouse. And like our body's core, long-term this is not good for our soul, for our spiritual health, and is detrimental to our well-being.
I find myself - as I often do - with the harsh realization that I need to be super diligent about taking care of my cores. My physical and spiritual cores are important to the whole of me, and when they are not strong I am weak. When I can hold myself up with a strong physical core, look to the heavens and wave to Jesus knowing I'm not neglecting Him - then I will be in a much better place. I will have attained a true Core Powerhouse.
But I cannot say with confidence that either of my cores are strong; there are too many times in my life that I continue to be complacent. I will follow the words of the instructor in the Yoga video. I will continue to practice and not give up. Before I know it, I will have an amazing Core Powerhouse.
Monday, February 1, 2010
"Legs Do It!" Challenge - Schedule for 2/1 - 2/6
I announced a few days ago that I would be participating in the "Legs Do It!" challenge 'sponsored' by Fit This Girl. Well it starts today... and I realized when I woke up this morning that I hadn't yet set up my schedule for the week of what I am going to commit to do! So here is my commitment to my legs this week:
Monday (Today): Sculpt
I am going to be having a beverage with one of the girls from our youth group tonight, but after that I am going to head over to Planet Fitness and do some sculpting. Since this is my first sculpting go-round, I'm going to keep it light and do:
I am going to try out this Yoga video early in the AM before work that Fit This Girl (whose name is Mary, so I will just call her Mary from now on) has posted on her site. It's about 45 minutes long, so I'll need to make extra sure that I start it right at 5:30 or 6:00 AM to be sure I have enough time to do it before work.
Thursday and Saturday: Strengthen
I have a strength routine that I do at Planet Fitness that I need to be better about doing (since I'm not doing it regularly). This includes 3 sets of 10-12 reps on about 5-6 different machines that target different muscle groups on my legs. I am committing to make sure I do a lower-body weight routine on both Thursday and Saturday. This means I have to make darn sure I'm up and at 'em early on Thursday morning... which may be difficult, but I know I can do it.
I'm pretty excited about the next 4 weeks of this, and hope that I am able to develop some good habits by incorporating some leg-specific exercises into my routine. Of course I'll continue with my running and elliptical work, and hopefully getting to more Zumba! classes as well.
Monday (Today): Sculpt
I am going to be having a beverage with one of the girls from our youth group tonight, but after that I am going to head over to Planet Fitness and do some sculpting. Since this is my first sculpting go-round, I'm going to keep it light and do:
- 30 lunges
- 30 jumping jacks
- 15 calf raises
- 10-15 minutes on the Stairmaster
I am going to try out this Yoga video early in the AM before work that Fit This Girl (whose name is Mary, so I will just call her Mary from now on) has posted on her site. It's about 45 minutes long, so I'll need to make extra sure that I start it right at 5:30 or 6:00 AM to be sure I have enough time to do it before work.
Thursday and Saturday: Strengthen
I have a strength routine that I do at Planet Fitness that I need to be better about doing (since I'm not doing it regularly). This includes 3 sets of 10-12 reps on about 5-6 different machines that target different muscle groups on my legs. I am committing to make sure I do a lower-body weight routine on both Thursday and Saturday. This means I have to make darn sure I'm up and at 'em early on Thursday morning... which may be difficult, but I know I can do it.
I'm pretty excited about the next 4 weeks of this, and hope that I am able to develop some good habits by incorporating some leg-specific exercises into my routine. Of course I'll continue with my running and elliptical work, and hopefully getting to more Zumba! classes as well.
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