Another word for freedom....

Wednesday, July 4th is tomorrow... a day off for me and scores of other people. However, the men and women of the US armed forces guarding our borders, shores and honor (?) will not be having a day of rest, nor hot dogs or ice cream with family or friends - their fireworks will be much louder and deadlier, and some may not see another July 4th. Lets also remember that millions of people are starving, livinig in poverty and have no voice - no freedom.

It's also my grand-nephews 4th birthday...HB2U - Ben !!!!

Yep, that's me and my guy. We took a flight around Mt St Helens on Saturday last. Then, having circled the crusty gray monolith twice, while marveling at the rough terrain, the 26 year old log jams, and the deep ravines from molten lava - we flew west into the setting sun up the Columbia River to Astoria and south to Seaside, OR before heading east and home. It was a great day to be aloft, although a bumpy ride over the Coastal range, it was great to be in the air again. I acquired yet another 20 min of flight time for my log book....I love flying, wish I did more of it.

Yes, I'm at work, and writing on my blog. It's lunchtime for me - my boss is out of the country, the stacks of folders and tasks to do are slowly receding. I am enjoying the quiet and solitude of the office and looking forward to being off.

To get back to my topic...freedom..seems the prez believes in it too...especially for his kiss ass buddies. As one of the late night comics noted...even Paris Hilton had to serve her time. I mean really, the man lied! Bill Clinton was up for impeachment for lying...it is just unbelievable that the man who is suppose to lead this country (well, now that I see those words - HA, I laugh!) and who has proven time and again that he is just the front man for those who are really running our nation - the power group from the former bush presidency - has not also been subject of a congressional inquiry. Amazing! simply amazing, he is such an idiot stick figure. He can not put two clear, concise, coherent sentences together, even when they are written down for him. It's embarrassing....and oh so wrong.

Enjoy your 4th, I'm sleeping in and taking a moment to remember how I got to where I am today.

Truths

February 24, 2007

since I work I tape a couple of daytime shows that I can cruise through at night...The View, and Oprah every day ( that is until summer when every day is a repeat of something I have already seen), and today I watched Oprah's Thursday show on "Best Life" weight loss style. She had her trainer Bob Greene on, and they had selected 6 people who wanted to lose weight. I mention this only because, not only was I once overweight (and according to the experts that were talking I was most likely obsese) but each time I watch a show about losing weight I learn something new about myself. Today it was: "lies we tell ourselves" - for some reason that resonated with me. Now I have been on the lean side of my lifestyle makeover for close to 35 years. That is with one exception 15 years ago or so when I was suffering from CF and had gained about 35 lbs....which I was able to take off over a period of time once my symptoms eased. And I gain and lose the same 5 lbs every year...because I get lazy and I 'lie' to myself about the food I put in my mouth.

So, the point is - today I realized that while my basic lifestyle is healthy and I eat reasonably well most days, I LIE to myself at least every day. I purchased Dr. Oz's book "You on a Diet" because I have about 10-15 pounds that I would really like to shed. It's the 10-15 pounds of muscle weight that has turned to soft tissue (my term for flab) and I don't really have the motivation to make it muscle, so I just want it gone. Now, I am not overweight, but then I am a chronic malcontent, and have NEVER liked my body..... but I am now just not interested in spending the 60 minutes/5 days a week lifting weights to get it back. Oh, I exercise, but it is not even close to what I once did....which really was just hiding out at the gym. Now I have a life that is interesting and fun..... Back to the book...basically they ask you to give up 'white' - white flour, white rice, white sugar(well there is a lot more, but you get the idea, if not, go buy the book)....the first two are easy....but that small chocolate kiss that I stuff into my face follows the LIE - "ONE WON'T HURT" ----- and that's the lie....because it is never one and it does hurt. Because I end up not trusting my behavior.

So it's the little lies that establishes on-going behavioral struggles...it isn't the 'i can't lose weight' or 'i'm big boned' or blah, blah, blah....I tell myself that this one little bite won't hurt - and the next one and the next one and the next one-----soon those little bites add up to the 10 lbs I want to shed....dang! So now I have to decide to either stop lying and tell the truth or accept the weight that I carry and stop all the b.s. ..... it was such a light bulb moment!

And that was true about the cigs I use to smoke, the alcohol I use to drink, the marijuana I once inhaled and the list of other recreational drugs that I would injest....since I stopped telling myself lies around those, life has gotten oh so much better. I am a different person, and my life is really fabulous....for the most part extremely fabulous. But I had to stop telling the lies, at least about the chocolate kisses.

I have started two, no three new needlepoint projects in the past 2-3 weeks. Sometime over the next couple of days I'll post photos of the projects. Today I got the newest one sewn onto the dowels for it's frame....I love starting new projects....and no, they are not all the same. One is a rug, another will be a pillow that I will give away, the other is a rather large picture of a clown juggling some balls that I just adore and will frame once it's done and the last one is a small ornament (one of the 12 days of Christmas designs) that I am planning on appliquing into small red stockings to decorate the hallway with...I'm halfway through the series...

Blessings to you....imagine peace - especially where there is conflict....