Miscellany

As I said in the previous post, the truck in fixed, and I think it really is now. It didn't take long, less than an hour this morning, and I was on my way home. I love the dealership because they really take care of me and seem genuinely concerned about me having a good set of wheels under me. As a single woman on a very tight budget, I really appreciate it.

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As most of you know, I'm not a fan of "reality" show. I love music, but I don't watch American Idol. I love to dance and to watch good dancing, but I don't watch Dancing with the Stars (less than 10 minutes of actual dancing in an hour just does not cut it with me). That being said ....

I love Lee DeWyse, the kid that just won AI. No, I didn't watch the show. But I've heard enough clips of him singing to know that he has a voice that I could listen to for several hours. The little girl he was un against in the finals, Crystal something, is amazing, too! But Lee's voice just soothes my soul. I can hardly wait till he releases an album, 'cause I'm gonna jump on it! He was on Ellen's show today and he sang the old Ray Charles song., "You Don't Know Me," and I almost cried. Smooth voice. So if you hear about his album being released, let me know, OK? Just in case I haven't heard, ya know?

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When I was 35 and younger, I weighed under 125. Goodness, as a teenager, I was doing well to reach 115, and I've been 5'7" since I was 13 or 14. Skinny minnie! In my late 30s I gained a little, and I liked it. I was only about 130-135, but I felt better, and I think I looked better. I stayed near that for another 15 years or so. Then a lot of things changed in my life. Not all at once, but many things shifted, and most were not in the preferred direction. I'm not going to hash over those long ago wah-wahs, but just know that I began oozing into depression and it had a strong hold on me. Without even realizing it, as my depression held on, my weight went up and up and up. And up. I don't even want to say where I ended up. In fact, I'm not sure I know the actual top weight, but I know it was up there around or over double my high school weight. Yep, double.

I lost some weight back in 1999 (before my top weight number was reached), using the low carb diet, and I felt really good about it. But when the special event for which I lost it was over (a cruise) I slipped back into old bad habits and my weight ballooned even more. By the time my husband died, I was pulling myself out of the haze I'd lived in. I had to. And I was working my butt off (literally!!) packing, storing the house in KC, caring for my hub, then moving after he passed away. I lost a considerable amount, probably around 30 pounds in that process.

Since then, I've continued to lose weight, but very, very slowly. I've avoided "dieting," because most weight loss diets cause physical problems that are terrible. I've just tried to eat sensibly and stay active. I've been losing 5-6 pounds a year, nothing to write home about, but it was in the right direction. Before that, my weight has gone up and down, not drastically, but enough that I essentially wasn't losing.

A couple or three weeks ago I got on the scale, and my jaw dropped. I hadn't weighed in several months, probably about May. Of course, I don't remember the exact weight at that time, so I can only estimate, but I've lost approximately 10 pounds since May!!! It dawned on me that my clothes have been fitting differently, but I hadn't given it a lot of thought. If you've never experienced being overweight, let me tell you, that's what people do .... we avoid thinking about it because it is so uncomfortable. But that's a lot in that period of time, and I'm thrilled!!

About the same time, I was beginning to go through my wardrobe and culling it out. I was trying on everything to be sure about the fit, to reconsider how much I really liked it, and to think about how long it has been since I've worn each thing. While doing this, I realized I had clothes from size 14 to 2X in my closets. Seeing how badly the bigger sizes fit was thrilling! Those have all left my house. They will not, NOT, be back. The thrift shop has benefited greatly, and my closets are like normal closets now, no longer packed so tightly that everything has to be ironed or tossed in the dryer before I can wear them!! Whoo hoooo!

This morning, I weighed again, and I'm one pound away from the smallest weight I've sported in about 20 years! I'm very happy about this, and I know I can keep up this wise method of losing weight. I still have a long way to go. I want to lose another 30 pounds. It may take another 5 years, who knows. But I'll keep doing what I'm doing, and I'm betting I'll make it.

I'm wearing clothes that I haven't been able to get into for over 10 years. I had/have a lot of classically styled, well-made, quality things that really don't go out of style, and I'm loving wearing them. People are complimenting my wardrobe and my general appearance, and it feels great! I'm already feeling better, and knowing I'm 50 lbs+ lighter than I was .... well, as the saying goes, Priceless!

Of course, after that I have to say ....

.... Life is beautiful!!!!

Because it IS!!!