The Last is Very Stubborn

My weight loss journey has been successful in many ways. One of which I have taken 1 year to lose 15 pounds. In order to do this and not backslide (at least too much) I have changed my habits. A slow steady progression.

The problem is this, my goal was to lose 20 pounds.

The last 5 pounds have been stubborn as a mule! I have increased my exercises. I have decreased my calories. and

Nothing. I am stuck 5 pounds from my goal. Maybe I should increase my goal to 25 pounds and trick those 5 pounds into thinking they are not the last 5 pounds. A psychological trick? hmmm

Okay I'll do it. My new goal is 10 additional pounds. I'll re-set that goal for September 15th. Why that date? I don't know.

reset
recalibrate
recommit
redo
resort to drastic measures

Okay, mark, get set, go.
Joytobe

Speechless

Some days, some circumstances I just don't know what to say. I want to be eloquent but find myself fumbling. So I'll just try to keep it simple.

A passionate plea to God to help those in need affected by the tornadoes across the country this spring.

Joyce

New Look

I am playing with blogger. Looking for a new look. You may see some sporadic changes. I kind like the green. Not sure about the text colors. I may still play with it. But oh how I love the color green.

I also realize I really need to add more pictures for my blog. It's been kinda bland for me lately. Any suggestions? What do you like? What do you not like?

More stories too.

More of my insanity with a dash of crazy duck lady! Don't know the crazy duck lady story? Here is a link to it.

http://joytobelieve.blogspot.com/2010/06/duck-lady-epic.html

And well don't forget the bear incident.

http://joytobelieve.blogspot.com/2010/07/fight-or-flight.html


I got plenty more where that comes from. There is a never ending supply of insanity in my family.
Joytobe

Sunday Quotes

Jump into the day!

"Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present." -Regina Brett

"Mothers understand what a child does not say." -Jewish Proverb

Joytobe

Saturday Quotes

Have an adventurous day!

"Those who follow the crowd are quickly lost in it." -unknown

"You can be big and nimble." -unknown. This was shown to me by Savanah on a billboard with an elephant on it. Savanah loves to find me quotes. And I love that. I think someday she will cherish my quote book when I am gone from this earth.

Joytobe

Yay! for Friday

Billy drove yesterday!!! Just in our neighborhood. We waited until after dinner time but before dark so all (or most) of the young kids were already inside. Jeff took him. I do think Jeff is going to be the primary teacher here. Jeff has an unbelievable amount of patience. Literally it took them 15 minutes to pull out of the driveway and I was like, "Would you go already?" Oh and of course I freak out too easily, the anxiety thing.

But as they pulled out of the driveway I could hardly contain myself. I started jumping up and down, hooting and hollering, camera in hand. hmmm maybe that is why they waited until all the neighbors were inside. I was quite the spectacle. poor Billy with the crazy Mommy!


It has been a long week of ups and downs. I am so very happy it is Friday.

I was looking at our calendar and thinking WoW! May through June is VERY busy. Every year. A good kind of busy. Fun stuff: birthdays, vacations, graduations, end of the school year parties, etc. It is very "go, go, go".

It does make me look forward to July when everything slows down and the lazy days of summer kick in.

Then we jump into the craziness of August and September: camps and state fair and getting ready for school to start. Gees I am sooo getting ahead of myself.

This would be one of those moments I have talked about before. Time to live in the moment. Just a couple of deep breaths and a return to the present.

I am smiling as the weekend approaches. I love the time with my family.

Joytobe

The New Era

The New Era in my life?

We now live in a world where my son will be driving a car. Billy Congratulations. And now for prayer requests! Please Dear God Keep my baby boy safe. Help me keep my sanity.

This is only the permit stage but.......

First and foremost let me apologize to the neighbors in Trout Brook, the population of Elk River, the residents of Minnesota, the citizens of the United States of America and the human beings of the world. I am sorry for all of the driving mistakes my son will make. I hope there will be no injuries (serious or minor) and certainly no loss of life or property damage as a result of those mistakes. However with this blog post you have been legally warned.

I feel many a sleepless night coming. Starting with the frightening teaching of driving.

The real fear comes for me once his driver's license is in hand. The fear of a passed curfew and the phone ringing almost paralyses me. If only we could keep them five years old with helmets and training wheels.

Time to up the anxiety medication...again.
Joyce

My Honey's Back

My Honey has been gone three days now and has returned! I tell you...and I have said it before... Things just aren't right without him.

I know lots of women who's husbands go out of town often for longer periods of time. Kudos to them. I am not sure how they do it! I guess I mean I am capable but I'm pretty darn close to miserable when he is gone!

The sun shines a little brighter for me during the day when I know I get to see him that night!

My husband is a "night owl" and I am a "morning dove". We like to go to bed together but my honey is not ready to sleep. So he watches movies on his zoon with headphones while laying in bed. At the end of a long day I know I can open my eyes while I lay in bed and see him. The light from the Zoon shinning on his face. I'll feel the bed shake as he chuckles. It is then that I experience the most cozy comfortable safe feeling I have ever known.

Love you Honey,
Joyce

The Q-Tip Miracle

In 1997 I was a single parent making a measly $20,000 a year. Living in a moderately crappy two bedroom apartment.

I was always one stumble from eviction. I was frugal to say the least.

The food I purchased was only the necessities. In fact I went to the grocery store every two weeks with my calculator. When I hit $25.00 worth of groceries I was done shopping. It was rough. My family helped me a lot. My sister would show up with the occasional bags of groceries.

It was a lesson for both Billy and I in restraint, persistence and suffering. We survived this poverty. We even thrived.

We were helped often with small miracles from God. This particular miracle may seem small but it filled my heart every day with faith.

Is there anything that feels as good as cleaning your ears with a Q-tip? Well okay maybe one thing. ;) Everyday as I was getting ready for work I would take a deep breath and walk to the hall linen closet.

Maybe?....Just one more time? I hoped. I would open the door of the closet and pull out the basket and begin my search. For months I had been out of Q-tips. I was unable to buy more because of lack of money. So each day I dug through the basket of miscellaneous toiletries and where the Q-tips used to be. The Q-tip container had been thrown away long ago when it was empty.

Everyday I was surprised to find just one more loose stray Q-tip. I thought it was magical. I was working so hard to make a good life and provide for Billy. Truthfully the never-ending supply of the eternal Q-tip was a miracle.

Keep your eyes open and watch for the small miracles in your life.
Joyce

Happiness # 8 - Happiness doesn't make you Happy

Ingredient # 8

Happiness Doesn't make you happy.

What???? I mean just because you are a happy person that doesn't mean you will be happy all of the time.

I could see some people (myself!) slipping into a unflattering position here. So I have a bad day and I am not happy. I failed. I must not be a happy person.

A constant state of happiness doesn't exist and who the hell would want to be around that person anyways!! It is just like light doesn't exist without dark.

Contrast is necessary. Just as truth is necessary.

And the truth is Life is an organized mess, fraught with difficult decisions that seamlessly change us. Life is filled with magic and miracles, disasters and disease, fantasy and reality.

To truly live you must believe in the possibilities and live within reality. You must grow and change.

To experience all that life has to offer the good and the bad, happiness and sadness in truth and not allow yourself to dwell in either of those realities.

Oops, this is my last post on Happiness. And I am happy about that. It is several weeks late. Enjoy

Joytobe

This Feeling

SUCKS!!!

I hate the feeling I get after I chew Billy's butt. It was a legitimate reason. I know parenting can suck sometimes. It's hard. You have to be tough. But truthfully it stinks. Nothing hurts me more.

Sometimes when I am that angry I need to breath more before I speak. No I don't call names or insinuate stupidity. I do a lot of, "What the hell were you thinking?"

Which really insinuates intelligence. I know he knows better, he knows the difference. He knows what he needs to do.

Billy has never responded well to yelling or anger. But this was an instance that needed the proverbial slap in the face.

So why is my face stinging? Because I feel like shit! :(

Joyce

It's Coming!!! 40

June 2nd!! It's coming!! Just around the corner! No way around it! No escaping it! Can't hide from it! Can't run from it! Can't skip it! Can't pass! Yup it is inevitable!

June 2nd, 2011. That very day I'll.......be.........40!

What comes with being 40? What are the consequences? The difference between 30 and 40?

More aches and pains.
More wrinkles and veins. (varicose, that is)
More gray hairs
More "Who is that there?" (vision's going too)

More "turn it down"
More Dr. appointments
to make me frown.
More things to make me laugh
most often at myself!


My gait may be slower but now it is more confident.
I now realize how important it is to slow down and fully experience the things that matter.


More patience
More confidence
More intelligence
More knowing who you are
More accepting who you are
More liking who you are

Not only do you stop "sweating the small stuff" but I am told, You start to not give a shit about the small stuff. You are no longer consumed with what people think of you, your outfit, your hair, your words, your actions. You are so comfortable in your own skin there is no need to "be cool". That in itself makes you OH SO COOL!

So although I can see the changes of time and age. And I won't lie, they do bother me. I am also looking forward to what comes with age,

WISDOM
Joytobe

Sunday Quotes

Have a blessed day!

"We ought to treat strangers as if we expected to see them again." -unknown

"Don't be afraid to encounter risks. It is by taking chances we learn how to be brave." -unknown

Joytobe

Where Have I Been?

I've been quiet lately. Where have I been?

In the Land of Unmotivated, Iowa. Sorry to any Iowans. I am sure there are lovely parts of Iowa but well my experience driving through on my way to Missouri has been less that stellar. Two camera speeding tickets once on the way there, once on the way back. However, I do love driving through Cedar Rapids Iowa simply for the smell of Oatmeal. What am i talking about? There is a big factory for Quaker Oats in Cedar Rapids Iowa and when you drive through it smells Divine.

So truthfully have I been in Iowa? NO

I think after my long experiment with winter blogging I lost some inspiration. Yeah, winter can do that to you for sure.

So Now what? What is happening in my life?

Billy is finishing his classroom portion of Driver's Ed today. Oh Lordy. After today he can take the test to get his permit. Mercy!

Two questions:

Question number 1.How did the time go by so fast? Last night Billy told me, "Hey you know I will be able to vote in the next Presidential election?" WTH? I tried to argue with him but alas he was right. The 2012 Presidential election he will be 18, just turned 18. Do you think we will vote for the same person? Hmmm

Question number 2. How will this child of mine with the attention span of a gnat be able to drive with said attention span? just kidding but he is easily distracted. scary!


Let's see..... what else? My beautiful world has once again turned vibrant green.

I am thinking on and working on an outline to another book. This one would be completely fiction.

I was also thinking of writing a story based on my grandmother's (Pama) life.

So my question the other day of facebook was: Can you call yourself a writer if you have never had anything published?

I received positive affirmation that YES you can. I like this particular answer: When you become published you then call yourself an author. WORKS FOR ME.

So I am no longer a "housewife" (EWE) and no longer a "homemaker" (blech). I'll keep my volunteer status. You know I am President of the "ISD #728 Competitive Cheer Squad Booster Parent Group." But now I add "writer". Can you call yourself a writer if you always mispell receive? I mean recieve. oops no I meant receive.

Thank God for spellcheck! I could probably use a "random useless content checker" too!
Joytobe

Saturday

What a busy, cold, rainy Saturday.

Enjoy the quotes.

"Every piece of the puzzle that doesn't fit gets you closer to the one that does."
--Cynthia L Copeland
--Really Important Stuff My Kids Have Taught Me


"The average dog is a nicer person than the average person." -Andy Rooney

Joytobe

Uncle Yandell

Lt Charlie Shultz is in the back row 4th from the left. Also known as my uncle Yandell.

My uncle, WWII Veteran Col. Charles Yandell Shultz, Jr. United States Air Force/Ret., passed away on April 15th, 2011. This makes me sad. Although I hadn't seen him in many years I did cherish the time we spent together. What an incredible commanding man with a heart of gold.

He was part of the 398th. The 398th was part of the 8th Air Force 1st Air Division during WWII and was one of many B-17 Bomb Groups stationed in England. The 398th was formed in the United States in 1943 and was stationed in Nuthampstead, England from April 1944 until June 1945.

The stories of flying bombers during World War II always captivated me. He was a Mickey Operator.

What is the meaning of the Acronym PFF and MICKEY
Specially equipped B-17s, called Pathfinder Force [PFFs] were equipped with a radar navigation system devised by the British and improved by the Americans for targeting through heavy cloud cover. It was encased electronics and replaced the ball turret in the B-17 lead plane. These planes flew in the lead and others dropped their payload when this plane did. Since the ground couldn't be seen, the results were marked as "unobserved." The "secret" system was code named "Mickey". Highly trained operators were called "Mickey Operators." For additional details see the April 1995 Flak News Article

I am sad that these stories can never be retold by him from his personal accounting. I am sad to never see him again at least on this earth. I feel the loss of my father again as this was one of my last true connections with my father's family. They looked a lot alike.

Thank you for serving your country and for being a wonderful man.

I miss you.
Joyce