Being Mother Theresa or something like it........

I love Mother Teresa.  She has always intrigued me with her love for all, unconditional.  She did exactly what God had planned for her.  She was unassuming, grateful and full of service.


To that end I wish I could be more like her at times.....and other times I am not so sure.


In my life, I listen to people and if I hear I can fix something or help with something, I try to do it.  It is what I was taught by example and in Church.  I love my faith.....just in case you could not tell!  To that end, I tend to overextend myself and do too much.  Yes, I now believe, I cannot do everything.  I am not responsible for everything.  I cannot do it all......and lastly, the world will survive.


I met up with a friend recently and was talking (rather listening) to what she felt she needed to do in a new chapter of her life.  She looked at me and said, "I am doing what I need to do; I cannot be freakin' Mother Teresa!"  That left a HUGE exclamation point in my head.  And it made me think.......feeling like I had the world on my shoulders with commitments  to work, charity, and my own life.  I was feeling like I was running from one thing to another, being a savior!  In reality I was just wearing myself out.


Today I called the Relay for Life Corporate I 88 group and resigned my Chair position for the Survivor tent.  I felt the weight of the world fall off my shoulders.  I am still participating BUT I don't have to coordinate food, get people in the right places being left out of fun with my team.  I will play and walk with my team.  I am very excited about this!  We have a great time, a great team, and we will raise money is support of celebrating more birthdays.  And the world did not end........


I mentioned this last time but I needed to put closure to it ......I have been long affiliated with Jazzercise and have supported the o'dark hundred class.  I have been with these ladies in one manner or another for 21 years.  My cohort retired and a business decision was made not to have a class manager at that time slot,  The owner, who I greatly respect, assured me I will always have a place to dance when my foot and ankle are ready.  Let me step back a bit.....I have been getting up JUST to open the class and meet with my friends, I was not dancing.  I had a responsibility to the class, I committed to be there to help out.


I respect that the owner is making changes; that is what life is about.  Initially I did not have time to process this information......I had a sick dog, I had a friend in hospice, and my life was very busy.  I lost the friend and the dog and now had time to let the change sink in.  Let me first say that CHANGE IS HARD......I did not have to get up at 4:30 to support the class; I lost who I was again.  I was mad, sad, angry.....and once that all passed I found relief.  I did not have to get up early, I had an opportunity to go back to the gym and work on what felt good to my foot and my body AND my spirit.  I am getting something done, I am feeling stronger both mentally and physically.  This change was a kick in the pants I needed to move on.  I FEEL GOOD  and the world did not come to an end,  I am not trivializing the amount of change or the gratitude I have for the chance to get my body back in working order.  There was a whole lot more going on but I find that I found peace with the changes that came.  A greater power was telling me to take care of me and afforded me the opportunity without the guilt.


I am learning that I am a good cog in a wheel but I don't have to do it all AND I don't have to do it alone.  The world will not stop if I choose to slow down and take care of me.  I am equally important to all the others I support.


That being said, I want to share one of my fun comfort recipes.  It is a wonderful dessert to share over the warm summer celebrations:

Berry Trifle

1     angel food cake torn into pieces
6     cups mixed berries  (if fresh berries are used, sprinkle with sugar to make a juice)
2     containers fat free  or low fat lemon yogurt
1     8 oz container cool whip


Tear the cake and place it in a bowl or the container it came in.  Toss the fruit with the sugar unless you are using frozen fruit; if using frozen make sure it is completely thawed.  Mix the 2 containers of yogurt with about 6 oz of cool whip.

Take your pretty trifle bowl and place half the angel food cake on the bottom, drizzle half the yogurt mixture, and finally half the fruit; repeat the layer.  Take the last little bit of the cool whip and put a large dollop on the top with fresh mint leaves.  Let sit for 30 min or so, keeping it cool.

It is a very refreshing, light and easy dessert.  ENJOY!


Until next time.......

Coming back.....Stronger, ready for battle and have fun

I know it has been a long while since I sat down to write.  There have been lots of changes going on and it is time to sit down and talk about it....and talk about my direction.



Since the last blog I have experienced some loss.  I lost a dear friend to breast cancer after a 13 year battle, I lost another 20+ year friend to complications of hip replacement surgery, but the hardest of all was losing my fur baby of 8 months to lymphoma.  Lily was 8 years old, I rescued her from a puppy mill and she was such a doll!  She was my best buddy as I rescued her after I lost my other dog to congestive heart failure.  This was a complete surprise.......up until the end she was a happy puppy, eating and playing........until she one day she was not.  Once I got her to the vet and did some tests, found the cause of her illness, she crossed over the rainbow bridge on June 7th without her mama there to  tell her it was ok.  The vet called to tell me she was in respiratory distress and while I was making decisions SHE made the decision for me and passed.  It has been hard for me to let go of the fact that I was not there to tell her how much I loved her.  She knew.......it was more of the fact I NEEDED to kiss her one more time, to pet her and love on her so she knew that the last 8 months were the best of her life and she made mine so rich.


Moving on from there, I have for most of the last 20 years been involved with Jazzercise.  Due to an injury I have not been very active in it.  With other business decisions, the owner decided that the time slot I assisted no longer needed a staff person.  When I got the email I was mad, sad, angry.....I ran the gamut of emotions.  I was dealing with Lily's illness and this came across my desk.  Dammit I had been a part of this for a long time!  In all fairness, the instructor has assured me I have a place to dance when I am ready.  What has this given me?  Once I digested it all, took care of the dog, I decided to find me again.  When I talked to my former trainer I told her that over the last few years I had spent so much time taking care of sick dogs and my injury (mainly the dogs!) that I lost ME somewhere along the way.


It took a lot for me to call Helga (her nickname) and ask for her help.  Once I did that, there was a huge weight taken from my shoulders.  I did not feel bad about the jazzercise anymore, I felt relief.  I was not afraid to walk in the gym again and wonder what they thought........no one cares!  We are all there to get in and out to work on our fitness and health AND get the heck out in a reasonable amount of time.  I committed to creating some consistency before committing to a new trainer.  I have not hated walking in the door one time yet!  I have not tried to create distractions or excuses for not going.  My plan was to go in the morning but I have actually gone after work when I missed a morning without a second thought.  This is all new for me.


I also got a senior yoga series to try.  I need to increase my flexibility.  I got this version as I found the yogi very easy to follow and I could make modifications and not feel stupid.  Yes, the voices in my head get in my way at times but I am working on all of this.  I am a blob of clay waiting to be molded in a whole new way.......maintaining who the core of me is.  Maybe it is a spit shine of what is really under all the years of dust and neglect.


Going forward I hope to have guest writers........I might ask friends to pick a topic to share and write a bit and paste it in here.  I have some wonderful friends with varied interests.  It is all wonderful stuff to hear and if I love listening to them I hope you would love to read them too.


I would like to leave you with one recipe I have absolutely grown addicted to!!  It is a great side that can be eaten hot or cold.

Grilled Sweet Potatoes

*  sweet potatoes, sliced about an inch or so thick.  A nice sturdy round

*  grapeseed oil

*  salt and pepper to taste

*  HOT GRILL!

Take the potatoes and wash them well.  Slice them in thick rounds and rub with the grapeseed oil.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  You can put them on skewers length wise or just place them on a hot grill.  About 7 minutes or so per side.  You should see nice grill marks on the potatoes when you flip them.

Once they are off the grill, let them cool a moment before serving.  On the other hand, I have taken them out of the fridge and eaten them that way straight as a snack!  They are yummy with NO butter, brown sugar or other seasonings to make them tasty!

Until next time........xxoo