Something Fresh For Fall with TheBrains

Sweet. Inspired by this SparkPeople Blog  I'm going to set Three New SMART Goals. These will be specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and timely.  Just thinking about doing this feels like standing in front of the candy counter and trying to choose only 3. And since this is the week that holds the First Day Of September - which is BIRTHDAY MONTH !!!! - I'm going to start today.

LEFT BRAIN: How timely.

RIGHT BRAIN: (snicker)

Oh. Hello. You two are always around, aren't you.

RIGHT BRAIN: You wouldn't be you without us.

LEFT BRAIN: I liked the way you opened the door to our participation too, with that sentence about the candy counter.

RIGHT BRAIN: Yes. Thanks for remembering me.

LEFT BRAIN: And thank you for being so calm and patient while we shopped, yet again, for a bathtub. It was worth it too, because we got a rather luxurious one, now, didn't we.

RIGHT BRAIN: and saved money too!

 You are both most graciously welcome. So. Three SMART goals for the fall. First off - how long should we give ourselves to reach these goals?

LEFT BRAIN: Till the first week in December. That's 3 months. It encompasses most of Autumn. And it will get us over the big Thanksgiving Feast. How do you feel about that?

RIGHT BRAIN: mmmm. feels pretty good to me. Feels like enough time to accomplish something without being unending.

 Okay. So. How many weeks is that - from now till the first week of December?

LEFT BRAIN: 13 weeks.  Think about it.  What do we want to accomplish in 13 weeks? And these are all weight related, fitness related, NOT werk related goals. If you want, we can do that another day for werk stuff.

RIGHT BRAIN: Whew.

LEFT BRAIN:  have another look at that list in Melissa Ruddy's blog. anything there that tempts you?

RIGHT BRAIN: They all do. I'm the one who can be tempted!

LEFT BRAIN: Yes and you're the one who can be tempted away. I think we ought to put a mighty big carrot out there to keep you focused.  And these ought to be just enough different to sort of wake us up. Like - what about eating dinner at the dining room table ... hmmm ... say ... twice a week? Just Himself and us - not waiting for company.

RIGHT BRAIN: oh. well. that sounds ... different. I don't see how that will get us to our Happy Weight and into pretty Christmas Dresses.

LEFT BRAIN: LOL - already picking out your rewards, huh?

RIGHT BRAIN: LOL You know me.

LEFT BRAIN: But I'm thinking it's the shift - the change - the ... the spicing things up of eating at the dining table that might just make things ... more fun as well as more focused.

RIGHT BRAIN: Alright. Yes. You know. I like that idea.

 LEFT BRAIN: And we can make it happen by going in to the gym on Thursday mornings early and doing strength training like we did when we had a trainer. That means we can go home early and take time with dinner.

RIGHT BRAIN: Yes. but other nights we're SOOO tired that .... twice a week might be too much.

LEFT BRAIN: alright here's an idea. What about Monday nights we eat without watching DVD's, but on the trays in the living room - so we can listen to music or talk. And Thursday nights we dine sur la table?

RIGHT BRAIN: Yeah. Yes. I like that a lot.

LEFT BRAIN: Okay - that's Goal #1.  Movieless Mondays and Tabled Thursdays.

RIGHT BRAIN: What's Goal #2?

 LEFT BRAIN: Oh! Morning walks!

 RIGHT BRAIN: Oh yes! I love morning walks.

 LEFT BRAIN: You know that means cutting way back on the morning internet play.

RIGHT BRAIN: Yes but it'll help us get those 10K steps in without horning in on other exercise

LEFT BRAIN: And give us more time with the dogs - I miss not walking with them. And they're all those SMART things.

RIGHT BRAIN: so - how many?

LEFT BRAIN: I think - 3 werk days and one weekend. Of course, the weekend is usually a given and it doesn't count if we're away - like for Emily's wedding. so maybe we should keep it to 3 days a week. Monday, Tuesday, and Friday.

RIGHT BRAIN: I like that. measurable and specific and attainable and all the rest of that SMART stuff.

LEFT BRAIN: So - Goal #2 is 3 Morning Dog Walks starting no later than 7:15? 7:30? Obviously not going to start THAT today. but minimum 7:30 we're out the door?

RIGHT BRAIN: It's a deal. what about Goal #3?

LEFT BRAIN: We-uhl. You know we're eating crazy bad right now. You KNOW 30 points 4 days a week will get us to our happy weight. You know what that last goal has to be.

RIGHT BRAIN: No. I don't know anything.  But I feel like we've indulged in snarky eating long enough. I'm okay with that as a final goal.

LEFT BRAIN: Alright. Goal #3 will be Eating at 30 Points 4 Days a Week. Any 4 that work for us. - now

would you like a chart?

 RIGHT BRAIN: Oooo yes! I'd LOVE a chart. Can we make one today?

LEFT BRAIN: LOL - if we get all our werk done.

 RIGHT BRAIN: oh. that sounds like another goal.

LEFT BRAIN: LOL - it is but it's a werk goal.

RIGHT BRAIN: And what about rewards? Can we have weekly rewards?

LEFT BRAIN: Hmmm. you know - they're always so hard to pick and so hard to deliver on. Especially if they're, ya know, acquiring something. How about this? How about making a Pretty Christmas Clothes Fund. And we can earn stars or something each week and if we do we can put money in the fund?

 RIGHT BRAIN: hmmm. I like the chart and stars thing. Or maybe even cooler stickers. but .. Not sure .. how much money? And do we have to get rid of clothes if we go buy new ones?

LEFT BRAIN: Of course we do.

RIGHT BRAIN: oh. hmm. That sounds like more work. more culling and clearing and stuff.

LEFT BRAIN: Oh - we'll have to do that anyway sometime this fall as we put away summer and get out winter.

RIGHT BRAIN: Yeah. Okay. Well. Hmmm.  I like the stars.

 LEFT BRAIN: Alright - How's this for a plan? Let's just make the chart and get cool stickers and after a week - we'll decide how much $ we want to save. If we even want to save $. How do you like that?

 RIGHT BRAIN: (smiling) I like that a lot. I love it when we make charts.

LEFT BRAIN: I know you do. So let's be really productive today so we can make that chart this afternoon. And remember, too, why we're doing all this anyway?

RIGHT BRAIN: Oh. Why are we?

LEFT BRAIN: Why - so we can dance through December like the Christmas Fairy in beautiful clothes and looking slender and sylphlike.

 RIGHT BRAIN: LOL!! I love that! I can just see me as a slyphan grandma-2-B.

LEFT BRAIN: LOL. We'll be a beautiful grandma. And our hair will be a normal color by then too.

 RIGHT BRAIN: Ugh! Don't remind me.

 RIGHT BRAIN:  LEFT BRAIN:    so - how do you like DaPlan?

I like it a lot. My thanks to you, my beautiful TheBrains and thanks to Sparker Melissa Rudy!

Bye Bye Birthday Month

Here it is - the first day of October - no more Birthday Thoughts for me till next year. But what a month it's been - so packed and full and stressed and loaded with joy it feels like it's lasted for 2 months. In fact, it's been SUCH a busy month it's worth a bit of recap or I might forget what all's happened. 

("what all" - a Southern Expression meaning both something and everything - colloquial,  quaint, bordering on slang) 

We began September with a hot Labor Day weekend that included swimming and beloved cousins and laughter. This came after a horrendous week for me at work; going live with new software, and at home; bidding goodbye to our beloved Labrador retriever Jack. I still haven't paid tribute to Jack yet .. though I will this month. He deserves to be remembered with words as well as inside my heart. I blame this remiss on the madness that has been September. 

The software switch was really much harder than I'd expected and there were also Bad Library Patrons in the first 2 weeks of the month. I wanted to spank them all soundly and send them to bed without their supper till I heard the president's speech on 9/10 and realized that - OF COURSE everyone was cranked to the max. They were caught in the double bind of remembering 9/11 with horror and swallowing the fear generated by a threatened confrontation with Syria over nerve gas. Umm. Yeah-Uh. No wonder everyone was anxious and grouchy and rude and ready to snap heads off. 

The very morning after that speech I sat my staff down and told them to look at grouchy library patrons with compassion, because we're all living with a little bit more fear these days. And I asked them, For Goodness Sake!, Please don't watch the news for the rest of the week! 

We also had More Software and Hardware training making this the most Technological Time I can remember at the library and while I like technology - I am not a Geek. I'm done with it. Time for this to get easy. 

There were other sweet but challenging times this month - a visit to S.C. to see #1 son (only son, actually, but still #1). We took Callie along and she proved to be a very good traveler. Of course I don't approve of taking dogs to other people's homes ... but hey - do as I say, not as I do. LOL. And then, of course, there was TheBirthday - with Birthday Food - and New Puppy Love - and a weight gain that pushed me .6 lbs over the WW limit. Gulp. 

And then the Library convention in my favorite shopping town (you wonder why I love this convention so much? Bwa ha haaaa) And the convention food of course. From which I worked very hard to assess and select only the nutritious and only slipped up once. 

And there was shopping. And there are shoes! 

And there was this past weekend with more beloved cousins and cousin dog too.  We traipsed off across the fields with all the dogs - in the gentle evening sunset. And there was talk. And food. And wine. And music. And flat out glorious loving. A magical weekend full of so much love. 

and so. 

And so September came to an end. October is here, risen over the horizon with it's planned and surprise elements, full of the richness of warm colors and delicious smells and, if we are lucky, rain. It's the autumn and it's time to pull out sweaters and favorite novels that make me feel loved and cozy. It's time for a knitting project. It's time for that first fire in the stove. It's time to start making plans and lists for the holidays. And it's surely time to decide how I am going to stay at goal through the minefield of food events that lie ahead. 

Yes. There's nothing like October to start Making Plans!

New Moon in Virgo

Ooops. That's Blue Moon



Nope - too creepy



Ya know?

Are you prepped?

I've been working on it though - and I'll come back with some thoughts - probably on the weekend - not because I haven't decided - but because there really isn't enough time this morning.

ya know?

Summer's Last Skinnydip

And no. That is not a photo of me au naturelle, floating down Farmer's Hall Creek. But it is a photo of the sort of day we had yesterday - glorious early autumn, when the humidity drops out of the picture, skies are vivid with color, sun pours its golden light onto your bare skin and a breeze fluffs your hair as you stroll down the lane to the mile point.

Whenever BD and I take a Sunday Stroll I like to take my camera along. I'm always on the lookout for a photo opportunity - something that captures the mood of the day, something unusual, maybe even something I would want to draw or paint. I snapped this shot thinking it would be a fun painting but I see now that the buildings are so far apart they fail to form a subject - at least one that's a fitting counterweight to that amazing sky. And so. It ends up here, decorating the blog.

Yesterday was truly glorious and I couldn't wait to get outside. Our usual stroll is down the lane and out to the mile point but yesterday we went all the way to Robert's. There, the creek empties into Occupacia Bay in a narrow deep channel that comes up close to the bank, with a sandy bottom edged by tall reedy grasses. Once, long ago, lighters from the steamboats would pull in here to unload drygoods in exchange for farm produce. It was never a bonafide landing, just a drop point along a low spot in the creek bank. But it is a lovely place from which to step into the water and float a bit. If the weather is at all sunny and the temperatures above 75 I am unable to resist and have to follow the dogs ... now the only dog ... into the cool inviting water - and yesterday it was both sunny and above 75. Perhaps only a few degrees, but enough to make the leap.

I don't know why swimming after Labor Day is such an impressive thing to me - since it's not that hard, not at all uncomfortable or unpleasant. Last Friday was so hot a dip in the creek would have been a treat. It's possible - though unlikely - that we'll have More Hot Weather even into October. But I doubt I'll get back into the river again before next May. It's just the way we are. Our mindset is on Other Things. Autumnal things. Cold weather things like new sweaters and unfinished knitted garments that beg to be stitched up.

I pulled out my Brica sweater and tried it on again. The shoulders are still pointy but I swear I think that blocking will flatten the sleeve cap enough to make it look alright. And I've knit half the neckline -which would leave only weaving in of ends to do and it could move into the Finished Object category. And so I shall - and photograph it to share with my eager readers. Just think - I bought this yarn in 2004 as a birthday gift to myself. How appropriate that I finish it in my birthday month - and only 8 years later!!! Which, of course, means I may give my imagination permission to fly into the boughs of fancy and start dreaming about Casting On.

Speaking of birthdays - I have been somewhat reticent about mine own, this year. I am still happy it's on its way. I'm still planning on Not Cooking that day - and I am sure it will be a wonderful birthday. I just seem a little less festive than in years past. Perhaps it is because I am coming off such an August. Perhaps it is because my horoscopes all say to 'Ware the 29th of September when a CRISIS will strike. I hope it is not because it is a decade birthday and I will be turning 60, though as I type this I suspect that it does have something to do with my more quiet enjoyment of the annual Month of TheQueen.

It is not that I regret or resent the passage of time. I do not feel like the fun is over - that all the good adventures are behind me.  I am, in fact, looking forward to a lot of wonderful things. It is just that - a number of the old familiar things I used to look forward to each autumn; each birthday; each flip of the calendar - have failed, this year, to excite me. For the first time I did not buy a new notebook as soon as Labor Day weekend was over. And I am not too curious about adding to the wardrobe this year. I don't have that lust to drive into the city and peruse the shops ... although that may be because the stores are so empty now - mere display cases for their on-line siblings.

Most of all, though, the old lady who looks back at me from the mirror is such a surprise that I'm left wondering who I am now. She is definitely not someone who is going to wear gladiator booties with her thigh-high split skirt this fall and her incipient jowls mean she will not be donning one of those Andean ear-flap knitted caps - even though she could make one and she thinks they are adorably cute. Fear not - for this doesn't mean either, that she will be wearing hideous cropped pants with sneakers. Most likely she'll continue with her somewhat conservative wardrobe in the familiar autumn colors that she loves best.

I think this contemplative state is also brought on because my work world is changing. And not just my day-to-day world but that greater world of Virginia librarians. Where once I was one of the young things or one of the insignificant things at these gatherings - now I am one of the old guys and there are so few of us left that I hardly know anybody at the workshops and conventions. I haven't even anyone to room with and will sleep in luxurious splendor, alone in my hotel room this fall.

And this is not a bad thing - there is something rather delightful about having a hotel room all to myself. But there is no denying it is a different thing - a change - and it requires some thought and examination to decide where to put it in the grander scheme of the Life-0-TheQueen.

Ah well. I did not mean to wax melancholy with this talk of time's inexorable march into CHANGE. I'm not melancholy. Just thought-filled. It must be because I am going to a funeral today and bidding farewell to a particularly sweet Hoskins cousin - a married-here like myself - husband to perhaps the most beautiful, on both the inside and the outside, woman. Her kindness and sweetness and grace and beauty amazes me. I wonder if she ever looked in a mirror and asked that reflection who she thought she was. Ah well. Today is not the day to ask her - but there may come a time when it is.

Enough.

I shall attempt to drag this blog post back to something less somber by leaving you with a hint of Things to Come. Tomorrow there will be pictures of a SURPRISE. And to close up the birthday thoughts - I did come up with a list of gifts for BD to give me - and they are all art gifts - to help me on my quest to become a good drawer. I am not quiet yet ready to confess that what I want to be is an artist - but I don't mind admitting - I want to be able to draw - and to draw well.

Tomorrow

At Tara