The View from Here

Marking Time

I’m not sure what is so intriguing about the sight of a new calendar. Much of what we do next year won’t be any different from what we did during the year that just ended.

January 2012, like January 2011, will be filled with resolutions made and resolutions broken.

Tomorrow is just another day, significant only because we choose to make it so.

But I still get excited about the possibilities of a New Year.

I still hope that I will be a little better, kinder, healthier, happier, and perhaps even a little wealthier in 2012.

The new calendar isn’t magic, but perhaps it can be motivating….

So let’s have a Happy, Safe, Optimistic New Year!!!

 

Fabulous Final Friday

The last Friday of the year and it’s going to be a sunny 65 degrees. Does a winter day get any better than that??? I’m headed out to the yard in a few minutes to plant the last of the daffodil bulbs (Gary bought 150), clean up the front flowerbed, spread some mulch, and move one of the bird feeders. Wonderful way to end the week.

Yesterday was equally wonderful. I managed to find everything on my list- even the little shelves I wanted for my smallest elephants. I actually bought boxes with glass fronts and little shelves inside. Perfect for a collection of tiny figurines I’m tired of dusting.

I also bought a book that I’d almost forgotten about. A big thanks for that goes to my niece, Megan and my son, Robert. Megan bought “Ballet of the Elephants” for me. It’s the true story of the 1942 Ringling Circus ballet performance of fifty elephants led by “prima ballerina” Modoc. As soon as I saw the name I recalled a book I had seen in the circus display at the Hugo library last year. (Yes, I’m that kind of nerd.) It was a biography of Modoc. Robert gave me a gift card for Books-A-Million and since it was my lucky day- yes, they had one copy of the book!! It’s “Modoc, The True Story of the Greatest Elephant That Ever Lived”. Wow! Can’t wait to read it!

After we returned from shopping I walked around the yard a bit. My foot is so, so much better that I decided to ditch my little boot, put on some shoes, and walk down to the pond. I’m so glad I did! I managed to get much closer to the heron than I ever have before. And if you think for a moment about a fat grandma “sneaking” across a bare, open pasture to stalk a wild heron you will understand my dilemma. The heron was cooperative for about five minutes. Then he lost patience with me and flew to the other side of the pond.

As I turned around to go back to the house I realized I had my own “stalkers”. LOL The youngest calves had followed me down the road. When I turned to confront them they posed for a second before running frantically back to their mothers.

After carefully observing the fox…foxes…last night, Gary and I have both concluded that, yes, there are two. One comes at 5:30 and is a little darker and stouter than the one that comes later, around 8:00. So that makes two foxes, five raccoons, three skunks and two opossums…. that we’ve seen and counted. Thankfully they don’t ever show up en masse or we would be in trouble.

Did a little reading last night. Worked on a jig-saw puzzle. Fell asleep in front of the television. It’s all good…..

Seeing is Believing

Once again our evening entertainment was the strange pairing of our dinner guests. At around 5:30 the fox arrived for an early snack and was gone again almost immediately. Thanks to my husband’s advice to leave the camera on top of the washer each evening after I put out the dog food, I was able to snap one photo. Please keep in mind that the animals are under a yellow security light and I am still taking these photos from a distance, through a window. I’m sure someone else could take better photos on manual or something, but I’m NOT that good. So you can just consider these “proof” not art. LOL

Later I glanced out the window and the opossum was dining alone. Within thirty minutes he was joined by the fox and they seemed to tolerate each other quite well.

Now, either the fox is quite cautious and needs to snack often, OR there is more than one fox. I haven’t quite decided. Let me just say that there is a fox in the yard at least three different times per evening. So….later I looked out and the fox was snacking again…this time with a skunk. I literally held my breath for a few minutes, anticipating what might happen. But they both just ate in peace. The fox soon left. The skunk got a drink and one more bite, then followed him.

The raccoons never arrived last night, but were here bright and early- 4m- this morning and still found a few morsels of dog food to munch. I seldom photograph them anymore because I’m probably the only person you know who already has over 500 raccoon photos. Yes, I’ve deleted some of them!

I know this is yet another post about critters and you are probably bored with them, but I am a woman of eclectic tastes and strange obsessions, and you already knew that!

I’m off to Texas today to do what normal people do….shop. I have a list of things I can’t find here, a husband who is eager to go to Hobby Lobby, and a gift card for Books-A-Million. My only problem today will be finding a lunch menu that isn’t frightening. I’ll preview online.

A few words of wisdom before I go:

Please, please, please do not “celebrate” the New Year by drinking so much that you don’t live to see it arrive!

Thoughts on a winter's eve...

I became thoroughly involved in a variety of projects today…all needing to be done, all worth time and effort, all satisfying when completed. However, by 3:00 I was chomping at the bit to go outside. The weather was mild, the sun shining, the water on the pond softly swaying in the breeze. So I abandoned my afternoon task and mentally promoted it to #1 on Friday’s list of “things to do”. (Tomorrow I’m shopping with hubby.) I grabbed the camera and hustled out to see what was going on in the real world.

As I wandered around trying to find something to photograph, a thought came into my head and caused me to smile.

“Now I know what I want to be when I grow up.” And what did my shrewd mind imply by that?

I’m happy.

Happy to be me.

Happy to be here.

Happy to be facing a New Year.

I spent decades trying to be someone else. I wanted to be better, thinner, smarter, richer, etc. etc. etc. Each year I made elaborate lists of things I was going to do differently so I would be different and therefore happier. I measured my behaviors and abilities by the standards of those I admired, and usually found myself falling far short of their achievements.

I guess age and experience have changed me.  I’m pretty self-satisfied. I still want to be a better person, but there is no desperation in my ambitions, no feeling of failure or inadequacy. I do the best I can, where I am, with what I have…and go on.  This is finally where I feel at home mentally, emotionally and physically. Whatever the New Year holds, and whatever happens in the future, I’m grown-up enough to deal with it. Whatever changes I need to make will be made slowly but surely, not all at once on Saturday night.

The Lists

Okay, here we go with Mrs. Maurer’s new plan for improved health in 2012!

First, I cleaned my refrigerator and cupboards. Gary and I live alone, no dependents, and I do 99% of the shopping, so anything in our house is here at my invitation. I have to take responsibility for that. I know the special foods that Gary eats (hot, spicy, peppered) and I know the ones that I eat (fat, sweet, creamy) and I know the ones we enjoy together. What I tossed were the foods that only I eat, that I do NOT need to eat. So now I begin with a clean slate and a new list for the grocery store.

BTW, I did transfer the foods that are on my new food lists to a standard grocery list to make my shopping easier. Now I won’t forget any key ingredients. I know, I know…I’m getting so organized in my old age! Lol

I have also changed my cooking plans. I will no longer buy instant oatmeal, canned soup, canned beans, frozen fries, frozen bread, or breaded fish. I will however, continue to buy Steamfresh frozen brown rice because I find the convenience worth any compromise in taste or nutrients (5mg sodium). There is only one “fake meat” that will stay on my shopping list and that is Morning Star “Grillers Original” burger. It’s versatile (whole or crumbled) and contains the least sodium in their product line. After extensive reading I have decided to abandon fake eggs in favor of the real thing. More little changes in my kitchen, but I don’t want to bore you.

Now for the lists. Remember that the categories are based on Alton Brown’s diet. The foods are from the Mayo Clinic “Super Foods” and the Reader’s Digest “Top Twenty Healing Foods” list from the book Food Cures. I really like the idea of focusing on foods that I must eat each day in order to stay healthy. I’m the kind of person who embraces this because I easily fall into habits and routines. I always eat breakfast and always take my vitamins. I’ve just lately fallen into some bad habits and routines! The idea here is that if I eat these super foods each day I will have little room on my plate for other things that I should NOT eat or eat sparingly.  You will see that my “never” list is quite short. And this also breaks away from the 3-meals plan. As long as I eat these foods, I see no reason to determine or limit when. I don’t see a difference between three meals or six if I am consuming the same amount of food daily. My goal is 1,500 calories and 1,500mg. sodium.  Later I’d like to lower both to 1,200, but I’ll start off with something realistic.

One caveat: measure. Serving size does matter. Alton Brown recommends putting nuts and fruits and veggies in plastic bags at the beginning of the week. I’m not sure I will do that for anything except lunches, but I will be careful to adhere to the listed quantities for each food.

Foods to Eat Daily

Fruits- ½ cup blueberries, plus one orange or one apple

Whole grains- 1 cup oatmeal or 1 serving whole wheat bread

Leafy Greens- 1 cup spinach or kale (buy fresh, but sauté)

Nuts- Natural unsalted almonds, walnuts or pecans (purchase in baking section)- 1 oz., OR Planters Nut-rition “Healthy Heart Mix”: 1.5 oz. mix of peanuts, almonds, pistachios, pecans, and walnuts (65mg sod.)

Carrots or Sweet Potatoes- ½ cup

Green or black tea- 2 cups

Grape or Cranberry juice- 3 oz.

Dark Chocolate- 1 oz.

Also try to add ½ to 1 tsp. of the following to other foods: olive oil, wheat germ, flaxseed, cinnamon, raisins

 

Foods to Eat Three Times per Week

Fish-salmon, tilapia

Eggs- 1

Yogurt- 1 cup, plain

Low fat milk- 8oz.

Broccoli- 1 cup

Tofu- replaces meat serving

Avocado- ¼

Beans- ½ cup

 

Foods to Eat Once per Week

Pasta or rice- ½ cup

Dessert- ice cream, pudding, or Jello- ½ cup

White Potato- 1 small

 

Foods to Eat Sparingly with Caution

Cheese

Condiments and sauces- mayo, salad dressing, catsup, BBQ sauce

 

Food to NEVER Eat Again

Fast Food

Canned Soup

I did not, as Alton did, include soda on my list because I gave it up two years ago.

Eager to give this a long trial…at least six months…before I evaluate. I’ll get back to you about it!

Tell me how YOU plan to get healthier in 2012!!

An Elephant Kind of Year

As most of you know by now, I’m crazy about elephants. Have been since I was a small child. I have a modest collection of elephant statues, books, games, puzzles, etc.  which I enjoy, and I am always pleased when family and friends give me new additions. So I was thrilled by my presents yesterday! I now have these beauties to add to the family! (What amazes me is that I have never received a duplicate of any elephant I already have. ) Thanks to everyone who understands and indulges my obsession.

Christmas Favorites

I'm posting some of my favorite Christmas photos from the past this morning. They bring back good memories.

New Year- New Plan

Okay, I know it is early, but I have a new plan for the New Year and I can’t wait to share it.

I hope you are sitting down.

Members of my family may commence mocking and sarcastic comments at any time.

I have made two major decisions regarding my diet and health problems.

1. In order to gain more control over what I eat, I must return to cooking. Yes, I know. It’s been years since I’ve really “cooked”, but I think I still know how. I still have recipes and cookbooks. I still own pots and pans. It can happen.
2. I am going to adopt the Alton Brown diet philosophy and make some lists of what I need to eat every day and every week. Once I do that, I don’t think there will be much room in my diet for what I do NOT need to eat.

I also plan to continue my efforts at snack and portion control. But I feel like I’m making progress with those.

In case you are not familiar with Alton Brown’s diet, it consists of four food lists:

Foods to Eat Daily

• Fruits
• Whole Grains
• Leafy Greens
• Nuts
• Carrots
• Green Teas

 

Foods to Eat 3 Times per Week

• Oily Fish
• Yogurt
• Broccoli
• Sweet Potato
• Avocado

 

Foods to Limit to Once per Week

• Red Meat
• Pasta
• Desserts
• Alcohol

 

Foods Totally Eliminated

• Fast Food
• Soda Pop
• Processed Meals
• Canned Soup
• Any type of "diet" foods

I’m working on my own lists and will have them ready by January 1. I’m basing mine on my personal preferences and the Mayo Clinic list of “super foods”. And being a bit OCD, I plan to be much more specific with my lists in terms of foods and portions.

As for my “never again list”- I already eliminated soda from my life a few years ago. I don’t eat many diet foods except a few “low fat” ones. Those with sugar substitutes give me headaches. I seldom eat fast food of any kind. It’s the “processed meals” and “canned soup” that got my attention and sent me back to the kitchen to cook. I don’t eat any frozen meals, but I do eat a few frozen food items that could be eliminated by real cooking. And soups---I have given up on finding a nutritious one in a can! I am going to make my own!

As you know, my personal demon is sodium, and I am determined to eliminate as much as possible from my life!! Perhaps at some point in the future I will not need to take three different blood pressure medications.  

So…brushing up on the cooking skills for the New Year.

Bon appétit!

 

 

 

 

First Day of Winter

Today is the first day of my least favorite season. I know that the impending cold, snowy dormant phase of the year is necessary for nature, but I’m less than enthusiastic about embracing it. In fact, I’ll probably be downright whiny at some point in the next few months.   80 is my favorite temperature and we are sure to have a long wait before it appears on the thermometer in the new year.

I will be the first to admit that personal fear is one of the factors that contributes to my dread of cold and snow. I fear fires, falling, illness, and accidents. Several members of our family have been killed, injured, or displaced by house fires. I vividly remember seeing one of my young cousins after she survived getting burned by a heater.  It seems that each night there is a fire story on the news. And while I’m not losing sleep over it I am well aware of the dangers of winter heating.

As I’ve aged and the toll of previous accidents, injuries, and surgeries has become more evident in my joints and muscles, I’ve become more cautious about boldly venturing forth on snow or ice or even in the rain. I once enjoyed outings to the snowy slopes of CA and I even attempted skiing a time or two. Now I have a walking stick I sometimes use to get me safely from the front porch to my truck.

 

I’m seldom sick, but if it is going to happen, it will happen in the winter. We all know the dangers of being constantly closed up in stuffy rooms with sick people. I work in an environment that is laden with germs anyway and I count that as one of the reasons for my unusually tough immune system. However, each winter there seems to be something that makes it through my defenses and knocks me down for a day or two.

Driving is more hazardous in the winter and very few people seem to adjust their schedules to give them more time to reach their destination. Each day I encounter people who are driving much too fast for the road conditions. One day recently I was driving 60mph in blinding rain when a truck passed me and made it even more difficult to see the road. My first thought was that years ago 55mph was the required speed on the same roadway, even in perfect conditions! Times have changed, but the need for safety has not. Everyone needs to leave a little earlier so they don’t have to drive like speed demons in order to get to work on time!

Of course personal comfort is the other issue that contributes to my prejudice against winter. I just don’t like to be cold. I own two heavy coats, four sweaters, and a dozen sweatshirts, plus scarves, gloves, mittens, heavy socks, and boots. I would probably buy even more gear if I still lived in a colder climate. The year we lived in Iowa taught me a lot about layering and being prepared…lessons I learned quite unwillingly.

And yes, I know that I am blessed to live in an area that historically has relatively mild winters. In the past we have even mowed our lawn during Christmas break. February can bring snow or warm winds. Like any other season here on the plains, the watch word for winter is “unpredictable”. Our worst winters are considered “balmy” by residents of the East.  My advice to them is “move to Oklahoma!” But, no matter how our temperatures and conditions compare to those of other states, winter is still winter…cold, dreary, and dangerous.

So..be prepared, be careful, and be hopeful. The first day of spring will be March 20. Mark it on your calendar!

Life-changing moments....

Most of us can recall major life-changing events in our life: college, marriage, divorce, death of a loved one, first job, etc. But sometimes it is much harder to recall the little moments, the small events, the slight turns in our path which lead us to life changes that later make us shake our heads and ask “how did I get to here?”

I was thinking about that concept this morning when I got up at 4am. Unless I’m unusually tired or sick, I routinely get up at 4am. I can’t even tell you when I started doing so, or why, but I do know that being up before dawn has allowed me to accomplish much more, even though I usually have to take a nap during the evening news.

I can clearly recall when my relationship with the computer began. Gary’s employer arranged for his staff to have financing for computers because the manufacturing plant was converting to computer assistance and he was wise to understand that his employees needed to be experienced and comfortable with the new technology. So an Apple IIC came to live with us. I was terrified of it and needed my son’s help to even turn it on. But those early days of trial and lots of error led to where we are today…shopping, blogging, and socializing on a world-wide network of computers.

My daughter had the first blog that I ever read. And she was posting it for quite some time before she let me see it! lol I didn’t even know what a “blog” was, although I’d heard them mentioned on the news. I certainly didn’t think that I would ever write one. Now I have three and I am addicted to reading at least a dozen.

Gary introduced me to photography. Although I’d had several cameras before we met, I never saw it as anything more than a device for recording family events. He showed me how it could be a means for creating art, for seeing the world in a different way, for sharing my vision with others. Now I can’t imagine not having a camera. It sits on the dining room table waiting for me to pick it up and see what is happening outside. I often take as many as 200 photos per day!

Facebook? I once said “people with too much time” or “who needs that?”, but now I realize the value of social networking and have benefitted from it in ways that I can’t even explain. I’ve found old friends and made new ones. I’ve rejoiced with them over new jobs and marriages and babies. I’ve prayed with them about accidents and illnesses and divorces and the deaths of loved ones. I’ve turned to them for help and ideas. I’ve learned about new products and websites and blogs. Now my problem is staying off Facebook so I can get some work done!

One day a friend asked me if I would look up something for her at the genealogy library because I had been there before and knew how to work the microfilm reader. That was about fifteen years ago and now I spend at least five hours a week doing research for myself and others. Sometimes I wonder what I did “before genealogy”. The answer probably has something to do with cooking and cleaning- I do little of either any more.

One evening a couple of years ago Gary and I watched a program about a man who fed dog food to raccoons. We decided to try putting a little dog food on the porch…and the rest is history. Now we feed the squirrels, rabbits, skunks, opossums, foxes, and oh, yes, a few raccoons. Their nightly arrival is as much a part of our daily life as brushing our teeth. Watching them interact is as enjoyable as any television show.

I could go on with other little moments that have changed the way I live and work and eat and even sleep. Every decision, however small, leads somewhere…

Something to ponder before the new year begins.