Provoking Thoughts

Normally I do not discuss religion, as it is a very hot topic for a lot of people. However, I came across a very thought-provoking article on ReligiousTolerance.org this morning and wanted to share it. There is one sentence that truly sums up “true” religion: Unless God were to take the initiative, it appears that there is no way for humans to determine which religion is "true."

The article can be found here: http://www.religioustolerance.org/reltrue.htm

I happen to agree with that sentence whole-heartedly. The “true” religion to me may not necessarily be the “true” religion of the Hindu next door. I understand that and respect it. It bothers me that there is still so much intolerance towards religion in my country, which is guaranteed by the US Constitution. Freedom of Religion means ANY religion.

Being Wiccan myself, I know there are people who would judge me as a “heathen” or “devil-worshipper” (of which I am neither). Nevertheless, I also know that there are just as many non-judgmental people. They may not agree with my religious choice, but they respect the fact that it is my choice and don’t preach that I am wrong simply because I believe different.

I truly believe that there should be more open-mindedness then there is in my country. This goes far beyond religion. In my opinion, everyone should be allowed to be happy regardless of race, gender, religion or sexual affiliation. It should not be up to me or anyone else to dictate what is “right” when it comes to other people’s happiness.

Hopefully, for those that read the above article, it will give you a lot to think about. I would love to hear your thoughts and opinions, so please feel free to leave a comment.

Today is good

I tracked every last bite yesterday and today, so I'm doing much better then the first couple of days. Sadly, my leg is still swollen (all that walking this last week + heat/humidity). I did not walk at lunch today for two reasons: 1. It was humid and hot and 2. My leg still hurts.

On another note, I heard from a friend of mine that he's been reading my blog and wants to see more of my 'musings' on here. So, I went out and purchased a new notebook for writing and plan on doing some over the weekend. I'll post the better pieces/fragments here next week.

Disappointed in Myself

After all that walking and exercise that I'm not used to this past weekend, I ended up gaining 2 pounds. Our scale has me at 310lbs. That's 4 pounds less than my absolute heaviest last autumn. To say I am vastly disappointed in myself is an understatement. Below is a picture of me this past Sunday.

On the other side of the coin, I did make myself walk for 30 minutes at lunchtime today, even though every step hurt. As promised, below you’ll find some photos from our trip to the mountains. These were all taken at The Flume Gorge near Franconia, NH.

One of my favorite waterfall shots from this weekend. Considering I have a 5+ year old camera (that's maybe 5-6 megapixels), I'd say it came out awesome!

And of course, I had to add the obligatory shot of the mountains! Hope you're all having a great Tuesday!

Back from the Mountains

We got back fairly early this morning (around 9:30-10ish) and have been trying to cool off ever since. It is really hot and humid here today (around 80°F or 26°C). I decided to forgo the weigh-in until the swelling in my leg goes down.

We visited the Lost River Gorge on Saturday and the Flume Gorge yesterday (which is 2+ miles). Both were about an hour's drive from the cabin we rented in the Weirs Beach/Laconia area. At one point we considered checking out Canterbury Shaker Village...until we got there and realized they didn't open for another hour.

All in all this weekend went well, even if my leg does hurt like hell. It was worth it because I got some great pictures. I plan on posting a few of them with tomorrow's post. As for now, its getting late and I'm exhausted!

Weekend in the Mountains

Alright, I can do this. 3 days up in the White Mountains without a computer means 3 days of not being able to use the food journal on WeightWatchers.com. Monday is my weigh-in, so I have to be at least semi-good this weekend.

I bought watermelon and grapes to take with us, and already had apples in the fridge. I also bought Fiber One pancake mix (more fiber, less sugar). I’ll let you all know how it tastes when I get back. Since the cabin we rented also has a grill, I got some 90/10 hamburgers (leanest they had) and some Baked Lays.

I heard that it’s supposed to be really nice this weekend, so I’m going to drag Rick out to walk around with me when I take pictures. I will be back at some point on Monday and will post the best of my photos from the weekend.

I will also make sure to let you all know how I did with my weigh-in. Since I’ve gone for 30-minute walks at lunch the last 2 days (and will be walking more this weekend), it might be off a bit thanks to my leg swelling.

Hope you all have a good weekend and I will see you on Monday!

No longer on hiatus

I'm appalled at myself that it’s been over a year since I wrote on this blog. I have to say, I have missed it terribly. Since so much has happened in the last year, let me give you the condensed version:
For starters, back in December my sister had her third son, so I am the proud of auntie of three wonderful nephews now. Next up, I got engaged in January and will be getting married this October. We'll be having a Star Wars themed wedding and I cannot wait! It's going to be epic awesomeness!

On that note, all eyes (or at least my mom’s side) are on me to bring a little girl into this family; which won’t happen until well after the wedding and a significant weight loss (think at least 50 pounds).

I recently stepped back on a scale after several months of being unaccountable. I was at 297 when I stopped weight watchers last time (down from 314), but when I saw that I am back to 308 it was a wakeup call.

For those that aren’t already aware, I have a genetic pre-disposition to DVT’s (or blood clots) called Factor V Leiden. I found this out at age 20 when I developed a blood clot behind my left knee. I got a 2^nd blood clot in the exact same area at age 25 (after being laid out on the sofa with pneumonia for 2 weeks).

That was 3 years ago, and since then I have been on blood thinner (and will be for the rest of my life most likely). This means I have to be careful when flying, going into the mountains or if I have children (higher hormone levels increase the risk…that’s why it’s on birth control warnings).

That being said, losing weight (even just 5-10%) will be a huge help. Hopefully, it will also allow me to get out and walk more without hurting as much (nerve damage/chronic pain from the first clot). I used to walk several miles in a day, but now walking even 1 mile makes my leg swell and hurt for a few days afterwards. That means I will be making use of our apartment complex’s pool this summer.

So if you like, pull up a chair, grab your favorite beverage and join me as I write not just about fictional characters, but also about my weight-loss journey.

Another Gloriusly Beautiful Day

Yes, I am well aware that I missed both entries last week. I actually got off my butt and did some cleaning over the last week. Our 2nd bedroom is starting to look more like a real room then a storage area. Eventually, my computer will be going in there as well. This way my boyfriend and I are not competing (his TV and my music on the computer) when I write.

We've had two beautiful days in a row here in New Hampshire. I just wish I could have enjoyed most of yesterday without a massive headache. That's what I get for sleeping with my head jammed against the wall.

On another note, I did finally get the last bookshelf put together, so now I need to get a couple more. Then he can finally have space to put all his Star Wars memorabilia. It's nice having my books out of boxes again (though I still have a bunch at my mother's house).

In conclusion for today, I am going to leave you all with a quote. I would love if you use this quote as inspiration for a short story, poem or other piece of writing and post it as a comment. I look forward to reading all your entries!

"What lies behind us and what lies ahead of us are tiny matters compared to what lives within us." - Ralph Waldo Emmerson

Middle of the Week

So here we are, its Wednesday and there are only 2 things on my mind. First, the beautiful sunrise shining in my patio door. The sun's golden orange glow is a welcome sight. The trees are fairly still after last nights thundershowers and the birds are greeting the day. I love this time of day. I have 20 minutes before I have to leave for my other job, so I can just relax and soak up the sun's rays for a few minutes.

The second thing on my mind this morning is getting to the store this evening to get a few spiral bound notebooks that I can write in during the day. I've missed having that opportunity at my other job. Granted, its not always brilliant writing, but ask any writer and you'll find we all write junk at times. That's how all writers improve. You don't talk about it, just sit down and write.

I have been far too lenient on myself lately when it comes to writing. I've been allowing procrastination and my XBox 360 get the better of me. That is going to stop today. I have made a commitment to sit and write from 5pm to 6pm during the week and on weekends it will be no different, but it will most likely be earlier in the day when my mind is fresher.

So this morning, I will leave you all a link to one of my new favorite blogs: GrammarBlog. If you thought you'd never find bad grammar humorous, I suggest you think again.

Timed Writing and a Personal View

Big Shocker that my timed writing session flew right out the window. I'm planning on moving my computer into our bedroom in the next week or 2 so I can separate myself from the XBox...and also because if I'm listening to music while writing, I don't want to be competing for volume with my boyfriend.

and now, for something that really needs to be said:

Things between my sister, mom and brother-in-law have been stewing and boiling over way too much lately. I am in agreement that changes need to be made, especially with the fact that my sister is continuously shoved in the middle of the constant "battle" between the other 2. I think that things have been said on both sides that were unnecessary.

It seems to me that my sister feels like she's being torn in 2 and on the verge of being forced to choose...her mom or her husband. Personally, I refuse to take sides on the issue. There are things I don't like about my brother-in-law sure, but does that mean that I'm going to put my sister in the middle...absolutely not.

I let my mother and sister both vent to me, so I get at least 2 of the 3 sides in this story (which is why I will not pick a side). There are always 2 (or more) sides to every tale and it seems to me that others are blinded and see only their own view.

As I commented on my sister's blog from Monday, I think we should lock the two in a room together until they sort out (most of) their animosity towards each other. I hate seeing my family at odds with each other because I love them all dearly.

End Rant

Procrastination Strikes Again

I really have to stop procrastinating on writing. For those that don't already know, I recently moved out of mom's and into an apartment. I'm excited about new opportunities this will bring, but I also have to watch myself. If I'm not careful, time will pass me by while the stories in my head remain unwritten.

Tomorrow after I get home from work, I plan on doing some timed writing. Even if all I write during the hour-long session is "I have no idea what to write. I have no idea what to write." My brain needs desperately to get back on track...no computer games or XBox until I have finished my hour of writing tomorrow.

As for my weekend, besides the rain, it was enjoyable. I spent time with my sister and her 2 boys (ages 1 and 5). We went out to lunch at this small, yet busy restaurant in my new town. The food was homemade and it was yummy! We went grocery shopping (since we both needed to) and each took a kid. I'm sure Evan (the 5-year-old) loved spending time with Auntie.

I'm thinking next weekend, I might spend some time with my laptop at a cafe or two. You'd be amazed at the tidbits of conversation you can pick up (and make into great dialogue). Alas, for now, I am heading off to relax a bit before bed. Another lovely day of tech support calls awaits me tomorrow.

Adieu!

Semi-pain free

I went to the neurologist this morning for a pain med injection in my back, and while it hasn't fully kicked in yet, the pain is less than it was. I've been having pain issues since the first time I got a blood clot in my left leg 6 years ago (when I was 20). Thanks to getting pneumonia in July last year, I developed a 2nd clot in the same leg. Most days I just tolerate the pain and get through it, but since the 2nd clot my pain level increased.

Because I have now had 2 clots, I am on blood thinners indefinitely. I was also diagnosed with Factor V Leiden (genetic increased risk of clots) when I developed the first clot. In some ways it is good that I found out at such a young age, but it does have its downfalls (like all the constant pain). It just goes to show that no matter how young or old you are, unexpected (and sometimes deadly) things can happen. It's a constant reminder not to take anything for granted.

For the most part, I still live my day-to-day life without incident. I do notice that I always seem to be cold now though, and of course there is always the fear of accidentally cutting myself (which is easy to do when your a klutz like me). I'll be right back to work tomorrow and probably packing more for the big move in 3 weeks. I'm hoping that the pain meds will last until after the move (otherwise it'll be harsh). As for right now, I am going to curl up under a blanket and write in my notebook.