THAT 'OLE TREADMILL WALKED ACROSS THE YARD TO GET TO THE SHED

Physically FIT should always include wearing high heels while running.  
Don't 'cha THINK?

WELP...the treadmill is resting in the shed at the COTTAGE.  Heave-ho all 400 pounds of her was walked/rolled to the shed.  Getting her out of the COTTAGE onto the rickety porch, down the concrete stairs, rolled and walked across the side yard on top of plywood then across the backyard took some planning, muscle power and patience.  It took awhile to figure how to get her out the narrow front door.  How'd we get her in the COTTAGE in the first place...did we lay her on her side?  We did.  Getting her out of the narrow door took effort.  We managed.  

Part of her came apart and dismantled.  Getting her down the steps required a college degree of engineering which we don't have so we got our degree from a gumballl machine instead and it worked just as well.

Assisting my Hubby the best I could, but he did the brunt of the heave-ho-ing.  He's so clever and between the two of us, we figured how to get this huge thing back to the garage.  That piece has been moved umpteen times and I figure she will stay put for awhile as I plan to exercise most days by walking on her in the shed. 

I have LOW energy for so many reasons.  I'm doing what I can to be HEALTHIER than the year before.  Starting the day out with hot lemon water and a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil from one country.  Gotta watch the olive oil that's blended from a combination of countries as they add different oils that are not olive oil at all.  Tricky seems to be the way of the world.  Tricky and deceptive.   

My GOAL is to lose some weight and I will evaluate next July at BIRTHDAY TIME.  That's 7 months into the future.  If I am to reduce then I have to be PRO-ACTIVE.  It's not going to JUST HAPPEN because I thought HAPPY THOUGHTS.  There has to be some calorie counting, dining on nutritionally DENSE foods and movement.  Staying active has to enter the picture. Keep the mind active as well.  I am at that place where I HAVE to participate and make this HAPPEN.  

Here I sit too tired to do much of anything else.  I am officially elderly.
If only my actions could move as fast as my thoughts, in a New York minute everything would be done.  Shazaam. Whalaah.  Tadaah.

When we first got the treadmill, it was originally set up in our 'ole rock house.  I think we bought her 12 years ago...maybe 13.  

After daughter lived in the COTTAGE, she adopted it and had it sitting in her bedroom eventually moving it to the utility room.  

I think from there it was moved to the garage where it stayed a year or two.  

I wanted her back inside RETIREMENT COTTAGE so she was moved into the dining room where there was room then moved into the empty living room, back to the dining room where she has sat.  Moving her takes some effort and we morphed right along heave-ho-ing each time.  

I'm relieved that we got her neatly positioned inside the newly remodeled storage shed.  We'll clean her, put her back together again and oil her.  The week ahead will be the beginning of walking and recording the miles.   

We got her moved Friday.  My original GOAL was to have her relocated, up and going by December 1st.  

Missed it by that much, but I am contented that she is out of the COTTAGE resting in the STORAGE SIDE OF THE GARAGE in the newly remodeled shed.  I can go ahhhhhhh now. She'll need a good cleaning this week.  Lubricating oil was ordered so she will get a good tune-up.  I will attempt to start walking on her on Monday.  

A slow start to an even longer journey.  ONE DAY AT A TIME.  Exercising is a marathon and not a sprint.  Can I be patient about this being an everyday thing?  I had better be.  

December 1st was the start date of another round of careful eating.  I made it through day one.  Day two went well.  I am on day three.  Breakfast was really BRUNCH since it was late morning. Yesterday and today have been SALADS.  These meals have been around 11 so some intermittent fasting took place over the night into the morning.  

Mary Colbert lost weight by walking 3 miles a day, eating only 1000 calories a day with some intermittent fasting involved.  I wonder if I can do the same?  Lord, please help me.  I'm still too heavy and fall into the realm of being MORBIDLY OBESE.  I escaped SERIOUSLY MORBIDLY OBESE when I took off 50 pounds.  When I started out, it was being overweight inching it's way to being OBESE.  This didn't hinder me to stop eating enough for two people.  When I became OBESE...I questioned it.  OBESE became MORBIDLY OBESE then that changed to seriously, morbidly obese.  The shame of it all.  I have had to change my ways.  Being hypothyroid has had some challenges, but this doesn't excuse the fact that people like me need NUTRITION and portion control.  It does matter what we eat and just because we think we are eating a balanced diet doesn't mean it is full of healthy, clean eating.  Eating Organic and skipping GMO foods should be considered.  Calorie counting?  Yes.  I won't even say I'm sorry about that one, but the counting is necessary isn't it?  Like everything else, MINDFUL EATING is part of being HEALTHY Babee.    

I believe I can do this weight lose thing with HOPE in my heart and ambition in my soul.  By JULY, I pray that I will have dropped 50 more pounds.  Praying it will come to fruition.

Getting CHRISTMAS decorating on ze brain.  Greenery is up on the fireplace mantel with twinkling fairy lights and I'm getting ready to hang some faux North Folk Pine branches on the stair rail.  Using burlap to tie this to the rail.  I had bought some more fairy lights with the intention of using them on the stair rail garland, but the box that holds the batteries is too large and heavy.  I guess we'll use these lights on the tree and not have any twinkle lights on the garland.  I was doing good to find these lights at FAMILY DOLLAR.

I've got to bring the white candles up from the basement.  Slowly the room will take shape.  A lot of green and white this year.  Simplicity.

Isn't it a blessing to be able to tinker about at a pace that is comfortable?  Blessed to be in my own HOME putzing away when there is so much chaos in the world.  I am grounded at HOME with peace and harmony inside my doors.  Let there be grace.  Deep breath.  

Being orderly adds to the peace.  I'm striving to be orderly and organized.  

I HAVE THE 'TIQUE BUG!  Lil Santa is sitting on our newest antique parlor chair.  I have the 'TIQUE BUG.  I like anTIQUES.  I feel lucky that this chair was hiding under CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS that were for sale at the CHRISTMAS MARKET in Topeka on Thursday.  I did a double take  when I spied the chair.  My first thoughts were, "Is that a victorian chair under all that stuff?"  Got closer and sure enough it was.  This particular one has a curved front cushion and interesting wood carving on it.  I'll take it.  AND it became a reality.  She is now sitting in my living room over by my Victorian Desk.  

My son asked me where I was going to put it when we move to the COTTAGE.  Gave it some thought and I think it will go in the corner of the Dining room between two pieces of old furniture.  Since the upholstery is red, it will be a festive touch to my COTTAGE Dining room. 

Time seems to have sped up on me.  A week passes so quickly, it makes me nervous.  I can't seem to slow it down any.  The week-end is upon us.  The CHRISTMAS tree will hopefully go up Sunday.  Maybe, just maybe, twinkle lights will outline the front door with garland and Burgundy colored ornaments.

Today, I have to have a hair appointment with myself and see if I can make my hair look decent. Shampoo and curlers!  Then I gotta shave my legs!  That's a hoot and a half.

Plans for this week are to transform the house into the Christmas Season.  Tree up.  Garland hung.  Wreaths made and hung.  Gifts wrapped.  Letter written.  Cards addressed and placed in the mail.  Don't forget the music.    

   

oxoxo
~d 

JOINING RETIREMENT COTTAGE GYM DURING A PANDEMIC

I could say, I joined a gym today.  Well, kind of.  Sort of.  During this pandemic, I need to walk when the weather isn't well suited for me.  With the foot pain I have struggled with the last 16 months, I have to pace myself and walk when I can, even if it's late at night or early mornings protected in a climate control cottage.  

The treadmill is up and going.  Hubby and I worked this afternoon at digging our treadmill out of storage, relocate it to the COTTAGE, clean it up and assemble it. Try it out and go ahhhh.  For being in storage over 4 years, it has held up pretty well except for the bottom panel being broken.  

A new one will hopefully be in stock to where we can fix this.  We have had our treadmill close to 11 years.  It seems like yesterday that we went shopping for one and purchased this one.  

Digging the treadmill out of storage required shuffling huge items in order to reach the equipment.  Hubby had to lay pieces of particle board to make a smooth path across the backyard, side and front lawn, go up some front porch stairs, onto the porch, take a storm door off so the treadmill fit through the front door and into the cleaned up area for a resting spot.  It was a work out for the both of us and I'm sure I will feel it in my bones tomorrow.

So very happy to have the treadmill up and going.  I'll start walking this week.  Get my journal out, find my walking shoes and go for it.  I had hoped to be walking the first of November, but the window of time to get set up was not available until today.  Just 9 days than desired.  It will be alright.  I am so HAPPY to have joined THIS gym.  grins.  

I now have an official membership at RETIREMENT COTTAGE GYM.  Praise the Lord.  It will be one foot in front of the other.  I have not walked on this treadmill for 5 years.  How quickly this time has passed.  Lord willing, in another 5 years I will be 70.  That's really old.  

Pulling a lace curtain back to look out one of the Cottage windows, I could see the almost naked trees that have shed their AUTUMN foliage.  It was a lovely AUTUMN day to set up the gym!  Lovely.  I hope I will shed some weight reaching my goal in a year.  Shall see.

TODAY'S MONDAY WAS BUSY.  Productive.  I have peace about it.  I will continue tidying the house, doing laundry, paperwork and make headway in the KITCHEN.  Boxing up items to turn loose of.  By the end of the month, I will be where I want to be with the KITCHEN.  

I've started Christmas decorating in my head.  I know where to go with the Nativity Scene and Christmas tree.  Lush garland around the front door.  Garland on the stair rail and fireplace mantle.  Christmas cards and baking done early.  Gifts out early.  Music to warm up the HOME with the Christmas spirit.  Hallelujah, the Lord's birthday to celebrate.  There will be a sweet, sweet spirit in this place.    

By Christmas, I hope to have the new TV room almost ready to roll except the new floor will not go in until SPRING 2021.

I have been watching a multitude of decorating videos and I am so impressed with the ideas.

Stretching for better health I am in hopes of reaching my goal.

d