The Downside of Technology

I saw something on the news this morning and it made me think about how much this world we live in has changed. They were talking about the Apple Watch and the research that had been done for two years creating the watch. And that it would revolutionize healthcare because of the way it could help track exercise, vital signs and overall fitness.

I fear, while we are trying to make life better, we are also making our world smaller. Literally and figuratively. I cant imagine my world on the screen of an apple watch. I have a hard enough time seeing the screen of my iPad without my glasses.We are making ourselves completely self contained. With all our electronics we have created a life where we don’t need any human interaction. We can do just about everything all by ourselves. Provided you don’t have children you don’t have to see or talk to another human if you don’t want to. We can order anything we need online and have it delivered… including groceries. Pay our bills online. We can stream all the newest movies and video games. We can now do all our social interaction online all from the comfort of our home. We don’t have to go to church because the preacher will come to you … over the internet or TV. I admit I am the worst for most of these things but for me it is the convenience factor. I don’t have the time to do most of these things in person because I am busy going here and there with two kids.

*** NOTE*** Epiphany Moment***

It seems we are taking the humanity out of being human. When my children were young I could have been a stay at home mom and isolated them but it was important to me that they learn how to interact with other kids their age. I could have put them both in a private school full of kids just like them but I felt I was depriving them of learning how to function in a diverse society. The world isn’t just like them and they need to understand that. I want them to know people will look different and believe different from them and that is ok. Because when they grow up they may leave the confines of their little bubble and boy they will see some different things! (epiphany moment is over)

I miss the days when we had to actually go visit with our friends. There is something to be said for quality time and interaction with other people.  Now we just text or facebook them. I get more of it now that my daughter is playing several sports and it is with new people. My own personal close friends are the ones that I don’t get to interact with and I miss that. Once again, I find myself wishing my life away for the weekend and before I know it I am looking at Monday morning which is 5 more days away from the next weekend. And I always end up wondering why it was only two days and what the hell did I accomplish?? I have to fix that… maybe a time management app… NAH.

 

Above all technology has made me miss books. I really really miss books. I miss turning pages. I miss the smell of a library book. I ran out of space for books and bought a NOOK about 6 years ago. It doesn’t smell like a book. And it certainly doesn’t read or feel like a book. It will simulate turning a page but it is not the same. In this electronic world I can honestly say that a real book is what I miss the most. I don’t miss shopping, I don’t miss banking, running errands or even chatting on the phone. I miss a real book. To the right is a picture of my happy place... if I had a spare closet... this is what I would do...

And I can’t imagine an apple watch can fix that. 

Its all in the Trying

There are so many things I try to do on a daily basis. Sometimes it is more difficult than others but every day is a struggle to be the best me, put my best out there, think kind thoughts and so on.  I almost always wake up happy. Happy to hear the clock, happy to roll to my right knowing I will see a soundly sleeping 5 year old little piece of sunshine, happy that when I go from the bed to the bathroom it is just a matter of seconds before a little black dog noses her way in to greet me and then tell me to hurry up so I can let her outside to do the same.

I have a morning routine that is comforting in a way. Dogs, husband, children and at some point I manage to get myself ready and off the baby and I go to kindergarten and the rest of my day. Funny though the end of my day is much like the beginning but in reverse. Before I go to bed I end up putting Children, husband and dogs to sleep before my own head hits the pillow. Last one down … and the first one up. And so we begin another day.

I know I have complained about the weather and how wet and gloomy it has been since before Christmas. It has been so miserable for so long that we all must feel like bears coming out of our hibernation caves when the sun finally came out this past weekend. It was glorious! The Bradford Pear trees are all of a sudden full of blooms and this weekend is the equinox so spring is here and there is no turning back!

Hallelujah!

So here we all are… trying. Trying to get through the winter of all winters, trying to trudge through another week without wishing our lives away for the weekends of warmer weather. Trying to enjoy every moment on this big blue marble before our time is up. And even though there are things that need to be done, most of the time they can wait if there is some other thing you need to be doing… like playing with kids or basking in the warm sunshine. I promise you, you will be glad you did because you cant get those sweet moments back and no one really cares if the house hasn’t been vacuumed. 

It’s all about the trying. Trying to live our lives to the fullest and at the same time not miss out on the little things that make it all worth living! 

5 Servings of Fruits and Veggies

My husband and I must be on the same page. Tired of feeling like crap and run down 90% of the time and desperately looking for an answer and willing to try anything. We have tried the medicinal route and now that we have wasted months on that and it isnt working we are both looking to natural remedies.

So last night we are all in the living room when he decides to make the profound announcement that, beginning immediately we were all – adults and children – going to consume 5 servings of fruits and vegetables every day. Well, I knew this was coming. But to see the look on my 14 year old daughters face was priceless.

He and I both had the same discussion this past Friday when I arrived at the beach. It started with him heating up a can of corn on the stove to go with his fried chicken.

I don’t know how the conversation started but here is the best part:

Me – I think I am allergic to something in the McDonalds milkshake. As soon as I drank it my throat clogged up, snot production in overdrive, drainage was terrible and I coughed trying to clear it for about 20 minutes.

Him – McDonalds sucks, I cant believe you actually went there. Besides it stinks and I bet the inside of that new car will smell like a McDonalds fryer next week.

Me – no .. I left the windows down to air out the grease. I haven’t eaten there in about 6 months, it was raining and I was trying to get on the highway to get here.

Him – you feel like crap all the time… and half of it is what you eat. You should eat 5 servings of fruits and veggies a day…. 5 SERVINGS… ONE (finger)…TWO (fingers) …THREE (fingers) …FOUR (fingers)…FIVE (talking to the hand now) .

Me – yes I know. And you are right.

Him – I know I am right… I eat  5 SERVINGS every day. 3 of fruit and 2 of veggies.

Like that corn I just ate… I ate the whole can all by myself… and I loved it.

Me- you loved it because it wasn’t a fruit or vegetable… corn is a starch.

Him – WHAT?? No… it grows from the dirt and I can walk across the street and get some out of the field. Not a starch.

Me – yes – starch. Potatoes are a starch, Corn is a starch, tomatoes are a fruit, Celery doesn’t even count because it is 90% water, I could go on…

Him – no… and if you want to get technical smarty pants… for that matter everything converts to sugar or energy. I read that in a magazine while I was at Duke.

Me – Don’t they make a pill that will count as a serving of fruit or vegetables? I could do that much easier. I could pop 5 of those suckers a day easy!

I will give him credit, he does eat at least three fruits a day and I am sure he throws another 2 vegetables in there somewhere. He is diligent and religious about it. Just like he is about going to the gym. And over the years I can see the difference in his health and physique.

So we are starting with baby steps, the fruits and veggies we like. Apples, bananas, tomatoes, carrots, oranges, & green beans.

Of course I think my Bolthouse Farms peach parfait breakfast smoothie should count for at least one serving of something!

Breaking the Cycle

My motto for 2015 is “Break the Cycle”

Now that I am in the middle – or what I hope is the middle- of my life I can look back on everything I know and learn.  I am at the point in my life that I know what works and what doesn't.  I know the things I want around me and the things I should let go of … and some things I probably should have let go of long ago.   

I started breaking the biggest cycle in my family history years ago when I fell in love with my husband. He is nothing like any man the women in my family have married. I saw past the surface and it was plain to me he was one in a million. A man that values honesty, loyalty and commitment. And that applies to everything he does. I was not wrong. If my daughter models the man in her life by her daddy she will be just fine in this world.

I am also beginning to break the bigger cycle in my life. Unhealthy food and beverage choices… it has lead to extra pounds and feeling sluggish and lazy 75% of the time. Although I could easily turn into my mother and sit on the sofa with a glass of wine and a book, I can’t allow myself to do that… at least not yet. So, after my rant about my headaches and sinuses yesterday I thought ok… lets see what we can naturally do about this. So I am starting with herbal teas. I went to www.mountainroseherbs.com and ordered myself an assortment of different teas for different times of day or week, to work on everything that is wrong with me. I also ordered a “to go” tea infuser, disposable tea bags and a bag squeezer. I like tea. So if I replace pepsi with tea that is a good thing right??? I am sure there would be days I could and would scratch someone’s face off for a cold pepsi but I am hoping to limit that to only once or twice a week.

Baby steps… 

I have a full time job and two kids, my husband has a full time and a half job. Meals are a problem. Who has the time to do a nourishing meal when you don’t even walk in the door till 6PM? I would do the slow cooker thing but I also live in a 100 year old house that would go up in a flash should something electrically go sideways. My son is on a cereal kick. Cereal or PB&J both with a side of block cheese (sliced in rectangles) and crackers.  My daughter won’t eat cereal. What to do with her??? I have no clue. That will be my next step… something good, easy, tasty and hot for dinner at least 3 times a week. That is going to be a hard cycle to break.

And finally let me say that it is the little things that I can change that will add up to the big changes we see in ourselves later. Someone asked me today how I lost 17 pounds. My reply was “ well, I had pneumonia and bronchitis, changed birth control to something that makes me nauseated 50% of the time, and I have still not managed to shake the super bug that has nested in my sinuses therefore creating an overload of sinus drainage only adding to my birth control nausea” …. “want some”?

I wish I had a fabulous answer for her… I am working on it.