Musings from the Sugar Bush

Sunday, October 5, 2008 - Cycle 2 Day 4

I never had time to blog yesterday. I am going to need to add yesterday's Word of the Day because that one is non-negotiable. This plan seems to be a perfect fit for me. I am never hungry. I do have moments where Mary Ann comes in and tries to get me to waver, but the longer I stay on this, the easier it is to remember that I can eat anything I want - in its own time. Last night we went to a fish fry. I had fish. And some cheese. And 1 small bite of a broccoli casserole (not allowed in the evening on baseline days, but, oh well.) I spent the rest of the night visiting with great people, playing cards, and chasing Claire and Clay around the pole barn.

I noticed that Woman's World had Wendy Chant's plan in their mag this week. I hate to see Wendy's plan in the same rag that Kimkins was in. That magazine has no credibility with me - not that it ever really did. I'm just glad that I had the book already or I would have dismissed this as one more "Lose 50 pounds by tomorrow. Oh, and make this "to die for Chocolate cake" type selling agenda.
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Our craft show went very well, all things considered. We are not really a good fit for outdoor craft shows. We learned a lot about what happens when it frosts overnight and your tent drips from the inside onto labels that are printed on an ink jet. LOL! Our location wasn't the best as we were basically one of the last booths people got to so anyone selling anything like ours had first crack at the customers. But still, we did pretty well. People complimented us on our display and we had some fun - and we paid some bills. Not bad.

We have refined our storage to make breaking down much faster. Even though I wasn't there to help, the girls broke down everything, including tents and tables, brought it back here, and unloaded in 1 1/2 hours. But better yet, when I went downstairs to make up a basket out of our tithe, I was able to put it together in 5 minutes because everything was organized and I knew where to find it. Great!!! That means we were able to donate another basket to a fundraiser for one of our parishioners.

I am headed out for a short workout on this glorious morning. I need it.

Daily stats:
Type:Walk/jog
Route: Peak's/back/Brown's driveway/back
Time: 24
Average heart rate:: 121
Maximum heart rate: 140
Down 6.4 from last Sunday (whoo hoo!)

I forgot my protein shake this morning. It made a difference. I have to get used to drinking that before I go out. I am so accustomed to working out on an empty stomach. Old dog - new tricks. LOL!

Word of the day:
Gospel
Mt 21:33-43
Jesus said to the chief priests and the elders of the people:
"Hear another parable.
There was a landowner who planted a vineyard,
put a hedge around it, dug a wine press in it, and built a tower.
Then he leased it to tenants and went on a journey.
When vintage time drew near,
he sent his servants to the tenants to obtain his produce.
But the tenants seized the servants and one they beat,
another they killed, and a third they stoned.
Again he sent other servants, more numerous than the first ones,
but they treated them in the same way.
Finally, he sent his son to them, thinking,
'They will respect my son.'
But when the tenants saw the son, they said to one another,
'This is the heir.
Come, let us kill him and acquire his inheritance.’
They seized him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him.
What will the owner of the vineyard do to those tenants when he comes?"
They answered him,
"He will put those wretched men to a wretched death
and lease his vineyard to other tenants
who will give him the produce at the proper times."
Jesus said to them, "Did you never read in the Scriptures:
The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone;
by the Lord has this been done,
and it is wonderful in our eyes?
Therefore, I say to you,
the kingdom of God will be taken away from you
and given to a people that will produce its fruit."

Thoughts from the cornfield:
Vineyard=Kingdom of God
Landowner= God
Tenants= the chosen people (and, too often, us)
Servants= prophets (and maybe us)
Son=Jesus
Other tenants=Us through Jesus - Thanks be to God
Eternal life=priceless

God bless our troops!

Friday, October 3, 2008 - Cycle 2 - Day 1

So who watched the debate last night? I thought both candidates did a great job, although each seemed to slip into the media caricatures and both dodged some questions. With all the controversy over Gwen Eiffel as mediator, I thought she did very well. I was looking for the bias that is so blatant in the mainstream media, but I couldn't find any. I thought she was fair and balanced in her questioning. I found Joe Biden rather likeable - Jennifer Granholm did a good job coaching him. Sarah Palin, I thought, appeared much more knowledgeable than we have seen on news interviews. Both were articulate. I would call the debate a tie, but that's just my perspective.

Not much time this morning - will update later - probably much later.

Daily stats:
Type: scheduled rest day
Route: scheduled rest day
Time: scheduled rest day
Average heart rate:
Maximum heart rate;
Down 9.6 from last Friday (whoo hoo!)

Word of the day
Gospel
Lk 10:13-16
Jesus said to them,
“Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida!
For if the mighty deeds done in your midst
had been done in Tyre and Sidon,
they would long ago have repented,
sitting in sackcloth and ashes.
But it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon
at the judgment than for you.
And as for you, Capernaum, ‘Will you be exalted to heaven?
You will go down to the netherworld.’
Whoever listens to you listens to me.
Whoever rejects you rejects me.
And whoever rejects me rejects the one who sent me.”

Thoughts from the cornfield:
I guess seeing isnt' always believing - at least in the case of Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum. But then do we always see? How many miracles take place daily in our lives? How many of these miracles do we just take for granted because they are "local?" The rising of the sun each morning, the changing of the seasons, the goodness of the people in our lives - for how much of it do we thank God? Appreciation of the many miracles in our lives - big and small - can truly be an experience of heaven on earth.

God bless the troops!

Thursday, October 2, 2008 - Cycle 2 - day 1

I finished out cycle 1 with an 8.6 pound weight loss. I can't believe I stayed with this Crack the Fat Loss Code program for an entire week. Cycle 2 looks like it will be challenging, but I am just going to do my best to muddle through. I'm very tempted to just keep on doing what I've been doing, but I would really like to see this 8 week program through. I have a couple of forum threads for support. This morning I am eating oatmeal. One of my favorite breakfasts is oatmeal with peanut butter.

Here is a posting from lowcarb friends explaining Cycle 2.

Cycle 2: Macro-Patterning Cycle – WEEKS 2-4

Now you’ll move into what is called the Macro-Patterning Cycle. This is where you begin to slowly re-introduce carbs into your life, teaching the body to burn fat while slowing down the adaptive response. During week 2, you will begin to bring most of the foods that you consume regularly back into your daily meals. You will see less rigidity in the meal plans—and more substitutions. For best results, it is recommended that you continue to abstain from alcohol on carb-up days during Week 2. During Week 3, you will have two carb-up days, on Wednesdays and Saturdays. After this week is the best time to add in sweets and alcohol on your carb-up days.

*There are 3 kinds of days in Cycle 2.

Baseline Days
This is where you are teaching your body to adapt. You will be taking in the basic nutrients your body needs through proteins, you’ll take in good fats, but you’ll be adding in one starchy food at two different meals in your day, so long as you eat them before 3:00 p.m.

Carb-Down Days
These are days where you will have a more minimal starch intake to force your body to use fat as an energy source. One these days you will still get your fats from good fat sources, and you will consume one starch before 3:00 p.m.

Carb-Up Days
This is where you will increase your starches to stoke the metabolic rate and give the body what it needs for repair and growth. Your last 2 meals on this day will be primarily carbs! Yes, you can splurge on those usual forbidden foods – bread, desserts, pizza and even alcohol. We call these days Food Passes and you have two of them a week, typically on Wednesdays and Sundays, but the beauty of this plan is that you can adjust these Carb Up Days as needed for special occasions, making it very convenient and totally interchangeable.

Daily stats:
Type: walk/jog
Route: Wilberding's and back
Time: 25 minutes
Average heart rate: 126
Maximum heart rate; 149
Down 8.6 from last Thursday (whoo hoo!)

I am totally amazed at how much more energized my walk/jogs are just by having a protein shake before going out. I was out early this morning because I have a meeting. The sun was just coming up. Gorgeous. My route is a little different now due to bow hunting season which began yesterday. I don't know if anyone hunts up by the deadend, but if they do, I don't want to mess things up for them. I will be staying off the deadend route until the end of firearm deer season.

Word of the day:
Memorial of the Guardian Angels
Gospel
Mt 18:1-5, 10
The disciples approached Jesus and said,
“Who is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven?”
He called a child over, placed it in their midst, and said,
“Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children,
you will not enter the Kingdom of heaven.
Whoever humbles himself like this child
is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven.
And whoever receives one child such as this in my name receives me.

“See that you do not despise one of these little ones,
for I say to you that their angels in heaven
always look upon the face of my heavenly Father.”

Thoughts from the cornfield:
There is no more trusting soul on the face of the earth than a child. They trust implicitly. They live authentically, without prejudice or hatred. They come into the world totally innocent and without guile. Soon enough though, they are taught the things of this world. But Jesus makes it clear that the "teachers" are going to bear more spiritual responsibility for what they teach. Children watch what we do and listen to what we say - more so than our adult friends. And they soak it up and they don't question.

Wednesday, October 1, 2008 - Cycle 1 - day 7

Today is the last day of Cycle 1. It seems to be doing what it's supposed to do since I am down 8.2 pounds since I began cycle 1. I did some more reading in the book last night and apparently I have not been doing cycle one as Wendy wrote it. Farther on in the book I found the meal plans. It would have been nice if those pages had been up front where the plan was outlined. But I think that staying under 20 carbs was the most important factor in depleting glycogen and I did that so I am going to move on to cycle 2 tomorrow. It's a little more complicated so I am just going to take it one day at a time. I am finding myself having arguments with Mary Ann each evening. She shows up about 7 o'clock and starts her stuff. I have been hanging tough and each day when I see the scale drop - and more importantly, when I feel so great - it makes it easier to ignore her.
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(Kelli, I am going to talk about Biggest Loser so you may want to skip this part until you see the tape.)

So Jerry went home last night. I was amazed to find tears rolling down my cheeks as he and Coleen discussed which of them should leave. Each selflessly thought the other should stay. I was pulling for Coleen to stay because Jerry looked so sick that I didn't figure he would last more than another week anyway, plus his pulled hamstring would be an impediment. I figure that with Jerry gone, Coleen would dig in that much harder. It was wonderful to see him in the "see the contestants as they are today" segment. He looked so much healthier. I was really afraid that he was going to drop dead during the challenge. I'm not finding myself as excited about this season. I find myself missing Ali and Betty-sue, Jackie and Dan, and even Mark and Jay. That was such a charismatic grouping of contestants.
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Life is ramping up on me. I have a rehearsal tonight, a staff meeting tomorrow morning followed a funeral, work at school, a wake service tomorrow night - which means the girls are going to have to load up the craft show fixtures without me, then I have Mass on Friday morning followed by another funeral, work at school, and setup for the craft show Friday night. Saturday is the craft show which I will have to leave early to do a wedding followed by Mass. Then I get a break - hopefully.

Type: Treadmill and weights
Route: Exercise room
Time: 31 minutes
Average heart rate: 121
Maximum heart rate: 148
Down 7.2 from last Wednesday (whoo hoo!)

Word of the day:
Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus, virgin and doctor of the Church
Gospel
Lk 9:57-62
As Jesus and his disciples were proceeding on their journey, someone said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” Jesus answered him, “Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head.” And to another he said, “Follow me.” But he replied, “Lord, let me go first and bury my father.” But he answered him, “Let the dead bury their dead. But you, go and proclaim the Kingdom of God.” And another said, “I will follow you, Lord, but first let me say farewell to my family at home.” Jesus answered him, “No one who sets a hand to the plow and looks to what was left behind is fit for the Kingdom of God.”

Thoughts from the cornfield:
Talk is cheap. Actions speak louder than words. Put your money where your mouth is.
The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. It's all about priorities.

God bless our troops!

Tuesday, September 30, 2008 - Week 1 - Day 6 and Kimkins Rant

I'd like to start this morning by commenting on the latest events in the Heidi Diaz - Kimkins debacle. I don't spend a lot of time on Kimkins here on the blog because so many other bloggers have put it so much more eloquently and thoroughly than I ever could. However, as a veteran of the Lowcarb Friends board, having been there when the Almighty Heidi was holding court and snarking at anyone who dared to disagree with her highness, I am amazed that anything she does can still surprise me. Here is a woman who lured thousands of people to her website with the hope that they, too, could achieve fantastic losses on her diet. (Which, by the way, was an anorexic bastardization of the work of 2 prominent lowcarb phyisicians - Dr. Atkins and Dr. Stillman. )

Kimkins was featured in June of 2007 in a national magazine - Woman's World, which apparently has no more scruples than Ms. Diaz - and which attracted people who were willing to fork over $70 to learn how to starve themselves into looking like the woman in the magazine. The problem was, the woman in the magazine was not Heidi Diaz. The picture was stolen from a Russian Bride site. The hilarious thing is that the Russian bride who appeared in Woman's World was a totally different Russian Bride than the one Heidi had posted on her site. Heidi never lost weight. Never. The huge loss that she said she maintained for over 5 years was a lie. That's the gist of the story.

For those of us who have followed this whole thing from years ago when Heidi was a presence on the Lowcarb Friends board, the entire story takes more twists and turns than any fiction writer could dream up. Heidi has been in litigation for the last year defending her anorexic plan. Now she is trying to turn the tables and sue the women who exposed her for what she was, and most of whom suffered serious consequences for their belief in this "lying liar who lies. " It would be laughable if it weren't so sad. She is also suing the Lowcarb Friends board - an entity which allowed her a forum on which to spout her garbage. One has to wonder about a lawyer who would take on a case such as this. Defense is one thing, but this counter-suit is nothing short of obscene.

Enough of that. What goes around comes around.

Check out some of the blogs I have listed over to the right hand side of this page or, if you have a few spare hours, you can read the entire saga here starting here: http://www.lowcarbfriends.com/bbs/kimkins/502606-
why-fascination-kimmer.html
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Oh wow! I woke up this morning to a huge whoosh on the scale. I should have seen it coming because I was dumping a lot of water yesterday. I feel really good. None of the sugar drop symptoms have appeared yet. Tomorrow is my last day on cycle 1. Wendy promises that once I get through this first week, the "diet" is over and a new lifestyle begins. I will be interested to see how the next seven weeks plays out. However, as I said at the beginning of this, my commitment if today and today only. Each day in its time.

My internet is running like a turtle today. I worked on some more stocking orders last night. I'm a little dismayed that we haven't had more traffic from Country Sampler. The hits we've had bounced right away. I saw the magazine in Walmart on Sunday, so it is out. I sure hope we at least recoup the cost of the ad. But it may be early yet. On the other hand, other traffic sources are doing well - especially Ebay. I've never had this many orders this early in the season before.

Type: Walk/jog
Route: Deadend and back
Time: 23 minutes
Average heart rate: 124
Maximum heart rate: 143
Down 4.8 from last Tuesday (whoo hoo!)

Great walk this morning! As I got to the corner I was greeted by shouts from my little cuties - the joys of living next door to your grandkids. Clay yelled out, "are you coming to visit us?" That was hard to pass up. Come retirement, I won't have to.

I think a pre-workout protein shake is going to be the norm from now on. I didn't really notice a difference yesterday, but yesterday was the first time I ever took weights on the road. But today? Wow! It made a huge difference as you can see from my stats.

I have to go in early to work today, but it's just an hour early.

Word of the day:
Memorial of Saint Jerome, priest and doctor of the Church
Gospel
Lk 9:51-56
When the days for Jesus to be taken up were fulfilled,
he resolutely determined to journey to Jerusalem,
and he sent messengers ahead of him.
On the way they entered a Samaritan village
to prepare for his reception there,
but they would not welcome him
because the destination of his journey was Jerusalem.
When the disciples James and John saw this they asked,
“Lord, do you want us to call down fire from heaven
to consume them?”
Jesus turned and rebuked them,
and they journeyed to another village.

Thoughts from the cornfield:
It was odd the Jesus and his disciples should be passing through Samaria on the way to the temple. This was a town that Jews avoided like the plague. There is an invitation occurring here. In entering the Samaritan village when all others would avoid it is an example of Jesus "reaching across the aisle" as it were. The disciples, who still haven't figured out the kind of Messiah with whom they were travelling, wanted to wreak destruction on these people. This is clearly above and beyond the "eye for an eye" teachings of the Scriptures at the time, because though the Samaritans did not welcome them, neither did they do them harm. No friendship was fostered in Samaria that day, but a seed may have been planted. We never know what kind of fruit our actions will bear, therefore it is good to think of this passage before acting. The world pays much more attention to what Christians do than to what Christians say. Jesus did much more than preach the Word - he was the Word.

God bless our troops!

Monday, September 29, 2008 - Week 1 Day 5

I can't believe I have made it to day 5. The number on the scale is dropping. Mary Ann has been making regular appearances, though. The tiredness hasn't hit yet, but I woke up cranky this morning. The house is getting on my nerves because it needs a good cleaning and I don't seem to be making any progress. I have discovered that as the house goes, so goes my mood.

I think another reason for my mood this morning is that my mother would have been 76 today. I often wonder what life would have been like if she had lived longer than her 32 years.

She talks about preserving muscle by consuming protein before working out. I am going to walk outside today but I am taking weights with me because Monday's are strength training day. I am going to see what happens when I drink a protein shake before going out. Update later.

Type: Walk with 5 lb weights
Route: Deadend and back
Time: 34
Average heart rate: 117
Maximum heart rate: 132
Down 2.8 from last Monday

This was a first for me - taking weights on my walk, but it seems to work great. This would be a good option for people who can't run but can walk as the weights help to keep your heart rate up. It is pretty out this morning but it is supposed to rain tonight and tomorrow. I hope it is all rained out by Saturday.

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Today and tomorrow the FlyZone is the living room. I am needing Flylady because I am letting my zone work slide. It seems like I work, work, work, and don't even have 15 minutes. But that's silly. Somewhere in my day I will find 15 minutes to declutter in my zone - yeah, I am still in the de-clutter stage.
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Tonight I also have one more batch of fudge to make and I also have to package up the stuff I've already made. Of course this week is Staff Meeting week.

Word of the Day
Feast of Saints Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael, archangels
Gospel
Jn 1:47-51
Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him,
“Here is a true child of Israel.
There is no duplicity in him.”
Nathanael said to him, “How do you know me?”
Jesus answered and said to him,
“Before Philip called you, I saw you under the fig tree.”
Nathanael answered him,
“Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel.”
Jesus answered and said to him,
“Do you believe
because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree?
You will see greater things than this.”
And he said to him, “Amen, amen, I say to you,
you will see heaven opened
and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”

Thoughts from the cornfield
On this Feast of Saints Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael, archangels, it's a good day to think about how much would be revealed to each of us if we lived in authenticity; if we lived without duplicity; if we lived as Jesus has asks us to live. We truly do entertain angels in our midst. Wouldn't it be nice to recognize them?

Interesting note:
Nathanael: "Gift of God"
Raphael: "God has healed"
Michael: "Who is like God?"
Gabriel: "God is my strength"
and my son's name,
Samuel: "his name is God"

God bless the troops!

Sunday, September 28, 2008 - Week 1 - Day 4

Still hangin' in there on the carb depletion cycle. Today was the day that I was supposed to have reached my Covey goal. Didn't get there, but I did learn a few things about not taking my eye off the ball. Even though I didn't reach my goal, I worked out on every scheduled day but one. That is progress. Gotta head out for that walk.

Type: Outside
Route: Deadend and back
Time: 25 minutes
Average heart rate: 117
Maximum heart rate: 134
Down 3.2 from last Sunday

Last night was girls' night out. We ended up going to Franceso's Bistro. I ordered a Caesar Salad which was basically a huge plate of romaine lettuce with 2 strips of bacon and a sprinkling of parmesan. I am very glad that I ordered dressing on the side because the balsamic that came with it tasted very sweet. I am going back there when I am not in a carb depletion cycle. Harold and I have been to this restaurant before and their - Anna, what was that chicken I had? - anyway, it was yummo!!!! I was also informed that Atkins is very bad for your health. Ummmm okay - heard that one before. (Funny how you order a salad and people assume you're doing Atkins. (I thought Atkins was plates of bacon, butter, and cheese.) And my alternate diet of M&Ms, diet coke, and pizza is health food heaven. I did not take the bait, did not argue. I think I may be growing up at this late stage of life.

Word of the day:
Twenty-sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Gospel
Mt 21:28-32
Jesus said to the chief priests and elders of the people:
"What is your opinion?
A man had two sons.
He came to the first and said,
'Son, go out and work in the vineyard today.'
He said in reply, 'I will not, '
but afterwards changed his mind and went.
The man came to the other son and gave the same order.
He said in reply, 'Yes, sir, ‘but did not go.
Which of the two did his father's will?"
They answered, "The first."
Jesus said to them, "Amen, I say to you,
tax collectors and prostitutes
are entering the kingdom of God before you.
When John came to you in the way of righteousness,
you did not believe him;
but tax collectors and prostitutes did.
Yet even when you saw that,
you did not later change your minds and believe him."

Thoughts from the cornfield:
Second son=scribes and pharisees, chief priests and elders . . . and us
First son=tax collectors, prostitutes . . . and us . . . . thanks to Jesus.

God bless the troops!

Saturday, September 27, 2008 - Week 1 - Day 3

It's foggy out again today. I have 2 days of cycle one behind me. I was reading the book again last night and in it Wendy says that there is very little wiggle room in week 1. I think I may have wiggled too much. I did stay under 20 carbs, but I have not been getting in the 70 ounces of water I need. Apparently if the body doesn't get enough water it messes up the chemical thing that week one is supposed to accomplish. Of course "Mary Ann" jumped on that and said,

. . . . . . . . . . "See? See? Let's start all over on Sunday. Let's go get those M&Ms!"
. . . . . . . . . .
To which I replied,

. . . . . . . . . ."nope, not gonna happen."

I'm just going to keep plugging away, fixing my mistakes, but I will extend week one until next Sunday. I ought to be good and depleted of glycogen by then, dontcha think?

I am still feeling pretty good today. No "induction flu" yet. The sticks are turning purple and my mouth feels yucky.

My stats for today:
Type: Outside
Route: Deadend and back
Time: 30 minutes
Average heart rate: 117
Maximum heart rate: 133
Down 1.8 from last Saturday

Today's walk was great. It's mild out and the sun is shining. It was still a bit hazy when I took this picture, but aren't I the blessed one to have this kind of view for my walk? I got started a little late and when I got home, Anna was just leaving. She left off a sample of the mulling spices that we will be selling at the craft shows this fall.

This week I have to get our products priced, organized, and ready to go. I ordered our new shirts, but am not entirely sure they will be ready for next week's show. I'm hoping, but I waited to long too take them up to Screen 'n Stitch. They said they would do their best. Next time I need to not procrastinate so long!

Word of the day
Gospel
Lk 9:43b-45
While they were all amazed at his every deed, Jesus said to his disciples, “Pay attention to what I am telling you. The Son of Man is to be handed over to men.” But they did not understand this saying; its meaning was hidden from them so that they should not understand it, and they were afraid to ask him about this saying.

Thoughts from the cornfield:
Sometimes it helps to understand a passage by putting it in the context from which it is taken. These words by Jesus take place after he has expelled a demon from a child. The disciples don't ask Jesus to explain what he means in saying that the Son of Man will be handed over to men. Sometimes you just don't want to know. I think on some spiritual level they knew exactly what he was saying and didn't want it confirmed. But then in typical fashion, the world again inserts itself and the disciples begin to argue about who will be first in the Kingdom. As my boss used to say, "hmph, some people's kids!"

God bless the troops!

Friday, September 26, 2008 - Week 1 - day 2

I woke up to a very foggy morning. There is a school delay so I won't be playing for Mass this morning. I am hoping that Shepherd cancels. I could use a day to get caught up on housework.

I am in day 2 now of the Wendy Chant's carb depletion cycle. Yesterday went pretty well. In cycle one we are to have 4 or 5 meals throughout the day. Each must have a protein and our last meal should be no later than 2 hours before bed. I had some pork rinds last night and I'm not sure if those are allowed. My rough time is that time after work. Little Mary Ann decided to show up and have a conversation. If you are a regular reader of my blog, you know that Mary Ann is my inner brat. Anyway, this is how the conversation went.

Mary Ann: Hey, we never start anything on a Thursday. Official weigh-ins are on Sunday.

Me: I'm not listening.

Mary Ann: There's a whole box of peanut M&Ms in the craft room. Let's just finish those off and we won't have to deal with the temptation.

Me: Ummmmm, until you brought it up, I forgot those were there.

Mary Ann: You don't want them to go to waste. Let's just finish them off over the next couple of days and start fresh on Sunday.

Me: I can save them for Halloween.

Mary Ann: Wahhhhhhhhhh!!!!!! - she is, after all, just a little girl.

Me: Fingers in my ears - mentally of course - I am driving. Dear God, please help me to get past this temptation.

I promise Mary Ann that if we do this right, no food will be forbidden.

Okay, so that was the conversation going home from work last night.

I ate dinner and then got to work on Christmas stockings. That kept me safely out of the kitchen last night.
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Word of the day:
Gospel
Friday of the Twenty-fifth Week in Ordinary Time Gospel
Lk 9:18-22
Once when Jesus was praying in solitude, and the disciples were with him, he asked them, “Who do the crowds say that I am?” They said in reply, “John the Baptist; others, Elijah; still others, ‘One of the ancient prophets has arisen.’” Then he said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter said in reply, “The Christ of God.” He rebuked them and directed them not to tell this to anyone. He said, “The Son of Man must suffer greatly and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed and on the third day be raised.”

Thoughts from the cornfield:
Who do we say that Jesus is? Here, only Peter gets it right, but we know from another passage that Peter is not speaking on his own; God is speaking through him. Do we allow God to speak through us so that the world may know who Jesus is?

God bless the troops!

Thursday, September 25, 2008 - Week 1 - Day 1

The sun is burning off the early morning fog and it looks like it is going to be a great day. I finished our stocking orders from Sunday. They still need to be steamed and packaged. Then have 2 more to do from an order yesterday, The Ebay ad has produced zip, zilch, nada, but then I usually see nothing from that until mid October. I won't bother to list there again until then.

I read some more of Wendy Chant's book. I think I am going try it. It looks like the only bad week I will have is the first one. I may not make it through the first week if my sugar tanks, but I will take it one meal at a time. Last night was grocery night so I am all set for the week. So, today is the first day of the first week. I have everything planned out for today. According to the thread on lowcarb friends, day 3 is murder. Day 3 will be Saturday. If I'm going to have a bad day, Saturday would be the best time for it - I don't see a lot of people on Saturday. We shall see.

I am testing some of our simmer scents - today's is Hot Apple Pie. It's very nice, but I think my favorite so far is Orange Clove. I can't seem to find the simmer crocks that used to be around - the little ones made by Rival. All I can find are the Little Dippers, and you have to buy a whole roaster to get that.

Gotta get moving, I'm late for my walk!

My stats for today:
Type: Outside
Route: Deadend and back
Time: 31 minutes
Average heart rate: 109
Maximum heart rate: 127
Up .8 from last Thursday:

The trees are beginning to turn. My route takes me between two farm fields. As I headed east, to my left was a small tree that has turned a brilliant orange.
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The first week on Wendy Chant's program is the Carb-Deplete cycle. Soooo, for breakfast I had a half cup of cottage cheese and a cup of coffee with cream and DaVinci sugar free syrup. I've packed my required cup of broccoli which I will top with a slice of cheese. I have also packed tuna and mayo. With that I am taking a package of sliced turkey just in case I need it. Tonight I will have Wendy's Egg Cheeseburger. The idea is to stay under 20 grams of carbs per day for the week in order to deplete the glycogen stores. This will convert the body from burning glucose to burning fat. None of this is new to me, but this isn't exactly like Atkins induction. Fats are limited a bit more. By day 3 the glycogen stores should be depleted and fat should be the source of energy. If one is using ketostix, it is at this point that they should start turning purple.

Word of the day:
Thursday of the Twenty-fifth Week in Ordinary Time
Gospel
Lk 9:7-9
Herod the tetrarch heard about all that was happening,
and he was greatly perplexed because some were saying,
“John has been raised from the dead”;
others were saying, “Elijah has appeared”;
still others, “One of the ancient prophets has arisen.”
But Herod said, “John I beheaded.
Who then is this about whom I hear such things?”
And he kept trying to see him.

Thoughts from the cornfield:
It's ironic that though Jesus repeatedly cautioned people not to tell anyone of his works, the word spread mighty quickly. It's all the more amazing when you consider that the news media in Jesus' time was limited to word of mouth. It's also interesting that when people were trying to figure out who Jesus was, the thought that he might be the Messiah never entered their heads. I wonder what it would be like today with our present media - that sure would be something to see. In this day and age when people are seeing the face of Jesus in everything from a plate of spaghetti to graffitti on a bridge - I wonder if we would be any more likely to recognize him.

God bless the troops!

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Woke up to another gorgeous fall day. It makes me a little nervous about our show October 4. I hope we have good weather for that. Anna worked on mixes last night and I worked on stockings. We've been getting some hits from Country Sampler, but no more orders yet. The hard copy hasn't hit the newsstands yet, though. And for some reason, most people just will not order Christmas stockings until the middle of October. It's been that way for 6 years on Ebay. The problem is, though, that we can only physically do so many stockings in October and November so each year we have had to turn people away. Such is human nature. I am the same way - Every year on October 15 I start Christmas preparations. We are such creatures of habit.

My Wendy Chant book came last night. I read some of it last night and some while on the treadmill this morning. Very interesting! I am in the first chapter where she talks about how the body works. How it assesses calorie needs on a 72 hours cycle, and expenditures on a 48 hour cycle. I need to go back and read it with a highlighter in hand.

Our house is suffering from a split personality today. I am testing a Christmas Tree scented candle in the kitchen, and a Harvest Home candle here in my computer room. Yummm!!!!

My stats for today:
Type: Treadmill
Route: manual settings plus weights
Time: 30 minutes
Average heart rate: 109
Maximum heart rate: 130
Up .8 from last Wednesday: (Shouldn't have had the 0 point soup before bed. too much sodium)
Activity points earned: 2

I did the treadmill this morning while watching what I missed of the Biggest Loser last night. I lifted some weights periodically - gotta protect those bones. I set the treadmill at a pretty steep incline.

Word of the day:
Wednesday of the Twenty-fifth Week in Ordinary Time
Gospel
Lk 9:1-6

Jesus summoned the Twelve and gave them power and authority
over all demons and to cure diseases,
and he sent them to proclaim the Kingdom of God
and to heal the sick.
He said to them, “Take nothing for the journey,
neither walking stick, nor sack, nor food, nor money,
and let no one take a second tunic.
Whatever house you enter, stay there and leave from there.
And as for those who do not welcome you,
when you leave that town,
shake the dust from your feet in testimony against them.”
Then they set out and went from village to village
proclaiming the Good News and curing diseases everywhere.

Thoughts from the cornfield:
One of the criticisms of the Catholic Church is that we are accused of not being biblical. Actually, nothing could be further from the truth.

The structure of our Mass can be found in Revelation. The prayers we use come from the New Testament. Our Communion rite is rooted in the Last Supper. Our sacraments were laid out by Jesus himself. Our priests are supported by the diocese - as the apostles were supported by the early Church.

Our church stands on 2 legs. Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition. It is for the Sacred Tradition that we are called to task. But our Sacred Tradition is apostolic - meaning that it was handed down by the apostles. That is what makes it sacred. Every Roman Catholic priest, through his bishop, can trace his lineage in a direct line back to the apostles. An oral tradition is no less valid because it is oral. Our Bible would not exist today but for oral tradition and the handing down from one generation to another the Word of God. Our Sacred Tradition is guided by the Holy Spirit (also grounded in Scripture from the Gospel of John )

At Mass each Sunday we profess this creed:

We believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, of all that is seen and unseen.We believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father. God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God; begotten, not made, one in being with the Father, through whom all things were made.

Who, for us men and for our salvation, came down from heaven. By the power of the Holy Spirit he was born the virgin Mary, and became man.; for our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; He suffered and was buried; on the third day He rose again, in fulfillment Scriptures.

He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory, to judge the living and the dead; and his kingdom will have no end.We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and Giver of Life; who proceeds from the Father and the Son; with the Father and the Son he is worshipped and glorified; and who spoke through the prophets. We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church. We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come.
Amen.

And yet for all that divides us from our Protestant brothers and sisters in Christ we can all agree on the above profession of faith. From it flows our mission as Christians. When Mass used to be celebrated in Latin, it ended with these words. "Ite Missa Est." "It is the mission."
Today Mass ends with these words: "The Mass is ended, go in peace to love and serve the Lord and each other." To which we reply, "Thanks be to God!"

Words to live by, those are.

God bless the troops!

Tuesday, September23, 2008

The sun greeted me through a haze of fog this morning. My wicks came yesterday so last night I poured more of the grungy Harvest Home candles. I wicked up a size on the pint jars and that made a big difference in the hot throw. I am burning a test right now and the house smells wonderful. Today is a long day. I have a liturgy meeting tonight followed by RCIA. Marian and I will be leading that tonight since it is our night to talk about our faith journeys. That means a longer night. Soooooo, I have the VCR set so I don't miss a minute of Biggest Loser! I miss having Anna recording them on DVD. She moved and doesn't have cable anymore. I am hoping that it will also be available on fancast.
I'm headed out the door.

My stats for today:
Type: Walk/jog
Route: Deadend/back
Time: 30 minutes
Average heart rate: 117
Maximum heart rate: 140
Down .2 from last Tuesday
Activity points earned: 2

Gospel:
Memorial of Saint Pio of Pietrelcina, priest
Lk 8:19-21

The mother of Jesus and his brothers came to him
but were unable to join him because of the crowd.
He was told, “Your mother and your brothers are standing outside
and they wish to see you.”
He said to them in reply, “My mother and my brothers
are those who hear the word of God and act on it.”

Thoughts from the cornfield:
This passage is all about priorities. Family is important. But there is something more important - something that goes beyond human relationships, that transcends this world. This is what Jesus was talking about - making God the first priority in our lives. The first commandment says it all: "I am the Lord, thy God. Thou shalt not have strange gods before Me." And Jesus said, quoting the Shema from Deuteronomy "And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might" And he went on the say that the second commandment is like it, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." But first love God. Hear his word and act on it. The rest will follow.

God bless the troops!

Monday, September 22, 2008

Sunday, September 21, 2008

I woke up this morning (late, I might add) with a splitting headache, fingers like sausages, and eyes almost swollen shut. Needless to day, this morning's weigh-in was terrible. I don't know what I ate yesterday that had so much sodium in it that this morning I feel like a blown-up balloon. I checked last night's batch of fudge and it is too soft. My morning routine went right out the window and it is going to take a humongous effort to turn this day around. So, let's look at some positives.

I woke up breathing - always a good sign .
The coffee is hot.
The grungy jars I did last night are looking good.
Today is Sunday.
Got my blog done (thank goodness I typed the very long reflection last night.)
Each day - even each moment - is a new beginning.

My stats for today:
Type: none - maybe later
Route:
Time:
Average heart rate:
Maximum heart rate:
Calories burned:
Up 2 from last Sunday
0 activity points earned
Total points available today: 33
Points leftover:
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Today's weigh-in was not good. It looks like I am not going to meet my Covey goal. I am letting way too many outside influences affect my focus.

I have discovered that if I say no to anyone, no matter how nicely I may do it, I am perceived as being mean. This is a constant struggle for me because I am prone to letting what other people think rule my life. I have discovered that I need to be true to myself if I am to be effective in my life. In other words, if someone has a problem with my saying no (and I need to do this as kindly as possible in order to live with myself) then it is going to have to be that person's problem. I have people in my life who seem to want to make me responsible for things that they should be handling themselves. This is where I am going to have to steadfastly define my priorities. They are these in this order.

God
Family
Church
My personal inventory (my code of ethics and how I want to live my life)

If I am strapped for time, those four things must remain my utmost priority. Saying "no" does not make me a bad person. It took me a long time to learn that. There is a difference between being balanced and being selfish. I will no longer apologize for saying no when doing so keeps my priorities intact. When I say yes, and can wholeheartedly say yes without feeling resentment, then I will say yes. This includes coming in early for work when I already have every spare minute spoken for and a sub could be called in, staying late at the church doing non-church related things when doing so infringes on family time, reminding people of things they should be remembering themselves and getting yelled at when I forget to do that, and doing for others what they are perfectly capable of doing themselves. In short - I will no longer be a doormat. I don't have to be mean - just firm. In the long run, I am a much nicer person to be around. When I let others take over my life or define my priorities, I start to get resentful, followed by sulky - culminating in my actually being mean.

I think I am going to take a "putter" day. My friend Sabina calls it doing "happy things." I need to do some happy things today.
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Update on this morning's vent. At church a friend of mine suggested that maybe I need to clarify some things I wrote above. (Thanks, Barbara) As I re-read it, it sounds like I don't want anyone to ask me to do them a favor. This isn't what I'm talking about. I am not talking about watching grandkids, because that is not a favor, that is a joy. I am not talking about friends who ask a favor - because that is what friends are for. I am not talking about resenting helping someone in need - that is not a burden. I'm talking about people who aren't really asking a favor so much as telling me what I am going to be doing - those who get upset when I have to say no as if they have more claim on my time and my life than anyone else. Those who, out of habit or some sense of entitlement get resentful when they realize that they are not the center of my world. We all have those people in our lives. They can drain our spirits and eclipse our joy if we let them.
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Word of the day:
Twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Gospel
Mt 20:1-16a

Jesus told his disciples this parable:
“The kingdom of heaven is like a landowner
who went out at dawn to hire laborers for his vineyard.
After agreeing with them for the usual daily wage,
he sent them into his vineyard.
Going out about nine o’clock,
the landowner saw others standing idle in the marketplace,
and he said to them, ‘You too go into my vineyard,
and I will give you what is just.’
So they went off.
And he went out again around noon,
and around three o’clock, and did likewise.
Going out about five o’clock,
the landowner found others standing around, and said to them,
‘Why do you stand here idle all day?’
They answered, ‘Because no one has hired us.’
He said to them, ‘You too go into my vineyard.’
When it was evening the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman,
‘Summon the laborers and give them their pay,
beginning with the last and ending with the first.’
When those who had started about five o’clock came,
each received the usual daily wage.
So when the first came, they thought that they would receive more,
but each of them also got the usual wage.
And on receiving it they grumbled against the landowner, saying,
‘These last ones worked only one hour,
and you have made them equal to us,
who bore the day’s burden and the heat.’
He said to one of them in reply,
‘My friend, I am not cheating you.
Did you not agree with me for the usual daily wage?
Take what is yours and go.
What if I wish to give this last one the same as you?
Or am I not free to do as I wish with my own money?
Are you envious because I am generous?’
Thus, the last will be first, and the first will be last.”

Thoughts from the Cornfield
Though the air is chill,
the shimmering halo
suspended above the purple horizon
. . . foretells the intense heat to come.
Heat that will thicken the air and oppress the spirit.
All is quiet
. . . though the marketplace teems with people.
People who wait as one silent, hopeful entity
. . . for the coming day.

And so the sun rises,
And so we wait.

As the shadows of the night
. . . retreat behind the mountains,
. . . . . .the landowner appear
. . . . . . . . .seeking workers for their vineyards.
It has been a bountiful year,
. . .and the great harvest awaits.

The crowd begins to move and coagulate . ..
. . . to separate . .
. . . . . . the chosen from the unchosen.
At this early hour,
. . . the landowners have the pick of the lot.
The silence of the dawning day
. . . is gradually dissipated
. . . . . . as voices are raised in negotiation

A day's work is promised
. . . and the day's wage is agreed upon.
The first of the workers leave the marketplace.
The lucky one.
The chosen ones.
. . . Our number has barely decreased.

And so the sun rises.
And so we wait.

It is now mid-morning
. . . and the air begins to warm.
The dawn's prophecy finds fulfillment.
Again the landowners appear,
And again our numbers decrease
. . . as the second-choice workers leave.
. . . We remain the unchosen.

And so the sun rises
And so we wait.

It is now noon,
The sun is directly overhead
. . . and its merciless rays
. . . . . . beat steadily down upon us.
The landowners are back.
Again they choose.
Again they leave.
We remain.
The hope of finding work today diminishes with each hour.
The heat begins to take its toll,
. . . but the air is no cooler elsewhere . .
. . . . . . and still there is hope.

And so we wait.

As the sun makes its way westward,
. . . another group of workers leaves.
The final shift.
The three o'clock chosen.
The last chance of finding work today
. . . has come and gone.
The landowners will not be back.
For those of us left behind,
. . . the only option remaining is to beg alms
. . . . . . from those fortunate enough to find work.

And so we wait.

On the horizon a lone figure appears.
It is too early for the workers to be returning.
There is still an hour left in this final shift.
But no, it is not a worker.
It is a single landowner.
He approaches.
"Why do you stand here?
Have you nothing better to do with your time?"
We answer,
"No one has hired us, Sir."
We look into his eyes.
They are kind.
He says,

"Come with me,
My holdings are vast
. . . and I need more workers.
. . . I choose you."

We don't bother to negotiate,
An hour's wage
. . . is more than we can hope to beg
. . . . . . in three evenings.

Night after night
. . . we are a hindrance
. . . . . . to workers eager to return home.
Most pass us by with unseeing eyes,
And to those who do stop,
. . . we are a burden,
. . . . . . a tax upon wages
. . . . . . . . . so laboriously earned.
No, we do not negotiate with the landowner and
. . . We do not wait.
. . . We follow
. . .. . . and we work . . .
. . . . . .. . . for one hour.

As evening approaches
. . . and the sun makes its descent
. . . in the western sky,
. . . the landowner sends his supervisors
. . . out to the fields
. . . . . . to settle up for the day's work.
We head toward the back of the line,
. . . but to our great surprise,
. . . . . . we are called first.

There must be some mistake.
We have been paid a full day's wage!
The supervisors say
there has been no mistake.
It is the will of the landowner
. . . that we be paid this amount.

As we leave,
. . . we hear the twelve-hour workers
. . . . . . raising their voices in protest.
They are angry
. . . that they have been put on a level with us-
. . . . . . the 5 o'clock chosen.
Yet, they have lost nothing.
If we had never been hired,
. . . they would still have received
. . . . . . the same wage.
How does our good fortune diminish theirs?

And will they notice
. . . that because of the generosity of the landowner,
. . . . . . there will be no one waiting to beg alms . .
. . . . . . . . . or hinder their journey home tonight?

from The Tarantella Dancers - copyright 2000, Mary A. Moeggenborg

God bless our troops!
we. . . we
. . . Another
. . . an

Saturday, September 20, 2008

I poured some o

f my grungy candles last night. I am excited about these. I made my own blend of fragrance that smells just like Autumn to me. It is spicy with cinnamon, clove, and sweet potato with slightly sweet top notes of orange. I have my tester burning now.

I am headed for my workout.
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My stats for today:
Type: Treadmill
Route: manual settings
Time: 28 minutes
Average heart rate: 102
Maximum heart rate:126
Calories burned: 150
Up 1.4 from last Saturday
2 activity points earned

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Well, I did my workout. Saturday workouts are flexible because sometimes I'm not home. Today I was surprised by a little gremlin named Clayton. He was followed by Anna, Melisa, Nicola, Claire, and Shelley. I have a tendency to scream when startled which provided comic relief for the intruders. I ended up getting a fairly decent workout in anyway. I leave Saturdays flexible for just that reason. Also because we have craft shows etc on Saturdays. Leaving it flexible gives me no excuse for abandoning the whole program because of one workout. It's what we habitually do, not the occasional sidestep, that gets us where we want to go.

I have decided to stick with the Glycemic Load and track with Weight Watcher points. I need parameters. I intend to read Wendy Chant's book for the benefit of research, but I think due to my blood sugar issues I need to stay with the Glycemic Load choices and levels.

Word of the day:
Memorial of Saint Andrew Kim Taegon, priest and martyr,
Saint Paul Chong Hasang, martyr, and their companions, martyrs
Gospel
Lk 8:4-15

When a large crowd gathered, with people from one town after another
journeying to Jesus, he spoke in a parable.
“A sower went out to sow his seed.
And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path and was trampled,
and the birds of the sky ate it up.
Some seed fell on rocky ground, and when it grew,
it withered for lack of moisture.
Some seed fell among thorns,
and the thorns grew with it and choked it.
And some seed fell on good soil, and when it grew,
it produced fruit a hundredfold.”
After saying this, he called out,
“Whoever has ears to hear ought to hear.”

Then his disciples asked him
what the meaning of this parable might be.
He answered,
“Knowledge of the mysteries of the Kingdom of God
has been granted to you;
but to the rest, they are made known through parables
so that they may look but not see, and hear but not understand.

“This is the meaning of the parable.
The seed is the word of God.
Those on the path are the ones who have heard,
but the Devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts
that they may not believe and be saved.
Those on rocky ground are the ones who, when they hear,
receive the word with joy, but they have no root;
they believe only for a time and fall away in time of temptation.
As for the seed that fell among thorns,
they are the ones who have heard, but as they go along,
they are choked by the anxieties and riches and pleasures of life,
and they fail to produce mature fruit.
But as for the seed that fell on rich soil,
they are the ones who, when they have heard the word,
embrace it with a generous and good heart,
and bear fruit through perseverance.”

Thoughts from the cornfield:
Although God's love is unconditional, his gifts come with a responsibility. We are free to accept or not accept that responsibility, but the resulting fruit of the gift tells how well we did or did not do that. We are the soil; God's word is the seed. No farmer in his right mind would expect any kind of crop if the soil is not prepared. When I go for my morning walks, I am surrounded by fields of corn and soybeans. The flourishing plants are witness to how well the farmer prepared his soil. We, too, need to tend the soil of our lives through daily prayer and the sharing of the gifts we have been given. Only then can God's word take root in us and bear good fruit.

God bless our troops!

Friday, September 19, 2008

It's Friday. Fridays are my scheduled "non-workout" days. I've been reading an e-book by Wendy Chant called "Crack the Fat-Loss Code." I made the mistake of ordering this as an e-book. I thought I would be able to print out the fundamentals, but no, if I want to read it, I am tied to my computer. That ticks me off, especially after I found out I could have ordered it off of Amazon and had a real book to hold in my hands. Anyway, this is an 8 week program that starts off like Atkins Induction on steroids. This is to deplete the glycogen stores. After that it has one cycling carbs. That's probably a poor description but there are some really good reviews on Amazon (where I wish I had gone to begin with.) I will be investigating this further. I'm unsure about that first week for me because of low blood sugar issues.
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I now have 32 boxes of fudge made for the craft show. I also got my jars grunged last night but I am still waiting for my wicks.
I'm off to get ready for Mass . . . .
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Now, it is not my intention for this to be a political blog. The video I am posting comes not from my political views, but from my core beliefs as a Christian. If you have differing views and wish to disagree, please be respectful.

Word of the day:
Friday of the Twenty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time
Gospel
Lk 8:1-3
Jesus journeyed from one town and village to another,
preaching and proclaiming the good news of the Kingdom of God.
Accompanying him were the Twelve
and some women who had been cured of evil spirits and infirmities,
Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out,
Joanna, the wife of Herod’s steward Chuza,
Susanna, and many others
who provided for them out of their resources.

Thoughts from the cornfield:
Yeah, well, someone had to cook. Just kidding.
Actually, this passage should tend to dispute the theory that Mary Magdalene was the "sinful woman" referred to elsewhere in the gospels and in Dan Brown's book.

And then there is this, " . . . and many others who provided for them out of their resources. "
Remember this passage the next time Father talks about stewardship or the CSA.

God bless our troops!