Wheat treats

Here is the info on the treats I make for my family. They do help with the                                             cravings and the fiber in them is helpful too.

Can't read all of the info. So here it is:                                                                                                     5 cups puffed wheat cereal
2 cups Fiber one bran cereal (original)
3 cups miniature marshmallows
3 Tablespoons light whipped butter or light buttery spread.

Melt butter in a large saucepan over low heat. Add marsh and stir until melted.
Pour into cereal and pat into bowl with wet hands (I learned to do this with butter on my hands and then lick good stuff off my fingers.....can't do that anymore. Water works well.)

I use 1/2 puffed wheat and 1/2 golden puffs . Make sweeter and no more in points or calories. I also double the ingreds and put in large cookie sheet. Cut into 25 and will be 2 pts.

Per serving of original recipe.  46 Cals, 1g fat, 32mg sodium, 11g carbs, 2.5 fiber, 4g sugar, 1g protein.

Joyful movement

I live by a wonderful track that is open for community use. One day I was sitting on my porch soaking up the sun when three large vans pulled into the track parking lot. Slowly, carefully, with  assistance a group of special needs adults climbed out of the vans. One van had a wheelchair lift and a young man was helping several people out that were in wheelchairs. I could see that many of them required a lot of assistance and was so pleased to see how the young people who were with them helped with many words of love and encouragement. One man climbed slowly out of a van and was very close to loosing his balance on the slanted parking lot when one of the assistants grabbed hold of his arm steadied him and with a hug sent him on his way. There were about 20 total that had come to the track to have a walk. Some had to be lead by the hand, use walkers, wheelchairs, and canes. The group went in slowly and then something amazing happened. I could hear laughing and cheers of glee as one by one they each took a turn walking across the finish line at the track.  They had not even began their walk but were already celebrating the joy that they were there and could move One girl was skipping and jumping and the others began clapping for her. I could feel the love and joy coming from them even at my observer distance.   I sat there and let the tears run down my face for the kindness of the assistants but especially for that group of joyful celebrating people who had once again taught me that even the simplest things that I can do should be cause for great celebration.

Spring at Little Black Mountian

 The spring equinox is today and brought with it memories of a site that I enjoy visiting. Little Black Mountain petroglyph site is just 13 miles south of my home. There are over 500 designs on huge boulders of black rock that have fallen from the 500 foot mesa that the site sits below.  You can google the site and it will tell you some information about it if you are interested. I first heard about it from my son. He had been out there many years ago with a friend's family and  had never told me. Three years ago he knew I was interested in petroglyphs and so told me about going there with his friend. So off we went. I have been there several times and have taken friends of my own to see this magical place.  He had heard that there was a place there that would indicate when it was time to plant crops in the spring. It was suppose to be on the day of the spring equinox. Of course having to see it for myself off we went in the wee hours of the morning on March 21 a few years ago. There is a huge rock about the size and shape of a bus that is flat on the top except for a little tiny area that is pointed up into the air. Like a triangle sitting on a box.  About 500  feet east of that rock up on a ridge is another  rock about the size of a truck that has a little tiny arch in the bottom area that you can see through.  Well, when the sun rises over the Hurricane mesa it shines through that little hole that is about 2 feet of an opening and it hits right on the little triangle that is on the huge rock. There is a petroglyth that has been tapped into that exact spot on that triangle and it lights up just like you were shinning a flash light on it. I don't know how or what could have moved those rock into that exact alignment. There are hundreds of huge black boulders scattered through the area. I now know that it lights up that little spot on March 21.  There are level walking paths that you can view the petroglyphs. The sign on site explains that it is believed to be a sacred place for the ancient people who lived in the area. I wonder as I wander if there was just one look out for the flash of light or if there were many who came. Was it a spiritual leader who returned with the message that it was now time to plant?  Many of the petroglyphs do depict what we believe to be farms, rivers, and crops.
    Now that it is the first day of spring officially by OUR calenders and by the ancient stone signal out at little black mountain I want to encourage each of you to evaluate yourself. How have you been doing? What more can you do? "What If's" have you faced and changed? Time to start planing  the little seeds in our minds and hearts that we can do the things we dream of doing........

Progress?

 I have been writing this blog for almost 2 months and the big question now is??? Have YOU made any progress?  If you are like me you get all fired up and know you are going to do something but then slowly your fire drops down to a little glowing ember. What are you going to do to blow a little life back into that fire and get it roaring hot again.  I suggest that you take a few moments to sit with yourself and reflect at what has worked or is working and what is not.  I had to try many different ways to exercise. I now eat many different fruits and veggies that I didn't even know existed a few months ago. Have you heard of jhicima?  One of my favorite treats now. If you want this you have to work at it. I am sorry I wish it was easy but it is not. I can tell you that you can feel better and your feelings about yourself can improve. You are worth it.  So many times we put others in front of our own needs. Love yourself then you will feel good enough to really love others. Please share on this blog if you have had success and what you did. Who knows? Maybe what you are doing is just what someone else reading this needs to hear. Let's get those fires roaring.

New swimming suit!!!

I really like this swim suit

Never thought I would wear a size 8

I guess I need to share my new swimming suit pictures.  Part of the journey is accepting and loving myself. Looking at these pictures I am very critical and see the lumps and bumps from the excess skin that I now have. I know that I have to continue to tone and work.  At my age I don't think there is much that my body will do to absorb and adjust my skin. Surgery for removal is not an option for me. That is one of the reasons I tell you young ones to do it now.   But here they are for the world to see.

Ready or Not here I come.

Okay, I have had a few people ask me if I would post my first official weight journey photos.  I have mentioned them before. I am in my swimming suit. I have shown them to a few friends and they say that looking at them have given them hope that they can change their bodies too.  As I have mentioned before, this blog is for me to help you and you help me.  I know how hard it is to get up the courage to do the things that need to be done to feel better. One of the hardest would be to get on that dreaded swimming suit. It was really hard for me to walk into that pool the first, second, and 500th time. I survived and you can too!!!!  Another is that you might have to do this journey alone. If you depend on walking, swimming, or exercising with friends then it becomes a disaster when conflicts of schedule come up. It would give me the excuse to not go if my friend can't on a certain day or time. I have to do it with me. I go alone to the gym but always meet up with my new friends I have met there. I walk alone most of the time. On occasion I do walk with my husband. I have just learned that for me I do better when I can meet my own schedule. This is my journey. This is my responsibility.  I did it and you can too.