Duvet Decision

Everyone knows that I love nothing more than new bedding.

My old duvet is ready for an overhaul.

Help me make up my mind and share your thoughts on these beauties.



#1: How beautiful is this! Navy with a bright floral.



#2: A chic zen leafiness.

#3: My walls are yellow; wouldn't my bedroom be so sunny?

#4: Not sure if this has enough color, but the pattern is beautiful.

#5: Similar to numero dos, very calm and peaceful.

Nestled

I really want to make eggs in a basket.

I love eggs.

I love thick, whole wheat bread.

French Toast? What is that?
Give me this any day of the week.

Sentiments

"Don't look for shooting stars
For love is only love
You touch and still you touch the ground
Don't listen for those bells
For love is only love
And if it's love you've found
Your heart won't hear a sound
And when you hold his hand
You only hold his hand
The violins are all a bluff
But if you're really wise
The silence of his eyes
Will tell you
Love is only love
And it's wonderful enough
Without the shooting stars
Without the sounds of bells
Without the violins
Love is wonderful enough"

No Blue Monday

I found a new theme song for my life.

"Put on your Sunday clothes when you feel down and out
Strut down the street and have your picture took
Dressed like a dream your spirits seem to turn about
That Sunday shine is a certain sign
That you feel as fine as you look!

Beneath your parasol, the world is all a smile
That makes you feel brand new down to your toes
Get out your feathers, your patent leathers
Your beads and buckles and bows
For there's no blue Monday in your Sunday clothes!"

Image

This song makes me so happy. I went through a period where I was obsessed with Hello Dolly! so I picked it up from the library and have been belting out all the songs. When 'Put on Your Sunday Clothes' came on, I could not stop smiling. I have always loved to get gussied up. And I am getting a beautiful parasol for the summer, which from under I will sing my heart out. Shouldn't you feel special every day?

Food Revolution

Are you IN?



The new season of Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution just started; he's in LA and he is being fought hard. I can not wait to see what happens. Will he be granted access to the lunch rooms by the LA school district? Will he start to get some more community support? I certainly hope so. I actually thought (using the exact science of stereotypes) that the California people of LA would be really into Jamie's movement but so far I don't think they really are. In the first episode he wanted to have a big rally and about 50 people showed up. Ouch.

But that's okay, Jamie. I support you. And I want all of you to support him too. Jamie is trying to get healthier food into the schools and healthy habits taught at home. I love his approach because he makes it all about good whole foods -- no fad diet crazes or hip foodie ideas -- just good, old fashioned, natural food. And he wants to start with the youth so they can be set up for a lifetime of success. Of course, starting with the youth means you also need to get to the parents and show them the way to help their kids be successful. It's a win win for everyone.

It's no surprise that obesity rates are on the rise, in both children and adults, but most dramatic of all has been the rise in childhood obesity -- from around 5% in the late 70s, to nearly 20% in 2008. Most importantly, nearly all those obese children will carry that obesity over into adulthood. And those obese adults are contributing to the drastic rise in the weight of the US. Check out these maps to see the changes in our health as a nation just over my lifetime.

When I was 2 years old ...

and now I'm 10 years old

Graduating from high school



Most current data

Wow. What happened to all the blue? No wonder Jamie Oliver wants to make changes. One of the biggest problems is that obesity is a disease but in America we don't treat it like one. Obesity seems to get this strange red-headed stepchild treatment, like we can't talk about it seriously because we don't want to insult anyone by saying "you're fat" but that's the truth. America: YOU ARE FAT. I suppose this has to do with the element of CHOICE involved with obesity -- but in my opinion when the entire nation is struggling with obesity it's no longer *just* about choice. These individuals have grown up in unhealthy households and been exposed to lethal food choices. These bad habits are passed down from generation to generation and become ingrained ... like brainwashing. It's a difficult issue, too, because there's a fine line between healthy and eating disordered (and when I say eating "disordered" I mean both overeating and undereating). We have a small percentage of ridiculously skinny people -- most of them probably eating unhealthily as well -- and a large percentage of, let's be honest, fat people who are also not eating healthy. Obesity is an indicator of the messed up American psyche about food. It's also a difficult issue because people DO have to eat, unlike other abused substances, eating is an essential function. And that's why it's so unfortunate that it's become incredibly warped.

This is why I think Jamie's approach is so brilliant. It's not entirely about weight: IT'S ABOUT HEALTH. And isn't that what we want? We want a healthy, happy nation of people that can work hard, ride bikes with their kids, kids that can climb trees, outrun wild dogs, and all that. If there were an emergency where we had to RUN to live, we would all die. It's time to stop being politely silent and encourage everyone (ourselves included) to stop killing ourselves with FOOD and get healthy.

I'm challenging myself; I want to lose 30 pounds, but I'm going to get there with lots of exercise and healthy food choices. No more days of fasting, no more two day liquid cleanses, just healthy eating. Doesn't mean I won't have a day where I make the wrong food decision and that I won't want to not eat for the entire next day to punish myself -- but there it is, my proclamation of health and wellness.

Now you should make your own proclamation and sign the petition.

Check out these sites for more information:
Center for Disease Control
Obesity Data Trends
F as in Fat
Blueprint for a Healthier America

But there's some good news for Utah here.

Make the change!

Do Over

Time to start again.
Time to restate goals.
Time to kick my own ass.

My ten year high school reunion is coming up at the end of June. I had set goals at the beginning of the year, but I've been being lazy and negligent, full of excuses:

• I'm too sore to go to the gym
• I should just hurry and eat the rest of this so it doesn't go to waste
• I'm going to eat perfect tomorrow
• Okay, that was the last cheat day
• I'm too tired to go to the gym
• It's a special occasion
• I haven't eaten all day
• There's nothing else to eat
• I'm on vacation
• It's snowing

Stupid girl. Now I really have to dig in. I have to go "biggest loser" and apply myself fully to exercising and eating right. I can do it. I know that I can. For years I keep saying, this is the year. Well, god damnit. This IS the fucking year. I'm tired of just looking passable, I want to look fantastic. Soon, my face will start to look old and my chubbiness will start to sag. Best to get a hot bod to detract from my aging face.

If anyone else wants to join in my pain, feel free. You'll hate your life for a while, but I'm hoping the pay off is worth it in the end. And when I say "end" I mean the rest of my life.

Stress

I'm stressed.

I'm getting really anxious about this stupid GMAT I have to take for graduate school. I haven't had a stress dream for months but for the past two weeks they've been rearing their ugly heads. Usually they're just about some random stressful event happening, causing me to wake up with a back ache and a sore jaw from grinding my teeth. Also, I keep using the wrong "they're/their/there" -- an obvious sign of a distressed mind. I'm also freaking out (a little) because I have to finish my application for graduate school and then the actual MBA program. I'm already late for the graduate school application -- damn you, procrastination. And I need to start wrangling in my letters of recommendation for my MBA application. When I did my undergrad my dear and darling husband did all this shit for me. Apparently he shouldn't have because I am now ruined and spoiled and incapable of getting my act together and just APPLYING.

AND I'm getting nervous about being accepted. What if they don't accept me and I have to wait for spring semester? I really want to be done at age thirty. Thirty, not thirty-one and one quarter. I've been perusing the statistics of the last class and it appears that I'm at least a viable candidate:

• the average GPA was 3.4 -- mine is 3.67
• the average score on the GMAT was 583 -- I'm shooting for that to be my score
• only 14% female -- definitely in my favor

And studying for the GMAT is just reminding me how much I fucking hate math. Algebra is fine -- but most of it is quantitative reasoning, at which I suck. I've always done the worst on story problems. I don't seem to be able to extract the math from the English; I just feel like I'm reading a very dull tale. I'm taking a study/prep course on Saturday for the GMAT. Maybe that will assuage some of this anxiety. But as soon as I'm done with that I need to submit my graduate school application, finish my MBA application, register for the GMAT, apply for financial aid (fat chance of that), and then take a big deep breath.

Evolution

My birthday is coming up.

For the most part, I'm one of those insanely happy, content people that smiles all the time and laughs heartily when entertained. And I have an insanely happy, content life that makes me smile all the time and laugh heartily every day. That said, I cannot let my happiness make me complacent because with complacency comes unhappiness and stagnation. I intend to always strive to improve myself (a la Julia Child) and learn new things and meet my trials head on. One thing that I hate about myself (well, hate it too strong a word, and in reality I sort of love the fact that I'm a little spacey because for most other parts of my life I am ordered, reliable, and responsible) is that I suck at follow through. I blame my seeming inability to finish projects or meet goals on being an Aries (and when I say "Aries"  I mean that I don't believe in astrology at all and I'm simply using it as a scapegoat ... a role it has been given for centuries). But. I'm fighting all those urges and making a concerted effort to finish what I start and accomplish goals.

Projects
I will not begin any other craft projects until the following are complete:

• Kenley's Baby Blanket: She turned four this year. I intend to either make the quilt myself or turn over the materials -- whichever is preferred.
• Mom's Afghan: I started this about 2 years ago and it is very close to completion. I will give it to her for Mother's Day THIS YEAR.
• Blue Bedroom Quilt: This beautiful quilt is also almost complete. All the squares are already sewn into rows; all I need do is sew the rows together, back, and bat it.
• Picnic Quilt: Lowest priority. I bought the material at Christmas and haven't touched it. I will continue NOT touching it until the above projects are taken care of.

Graduate School
I am hoping to be enrolled in the MBA program in the fall. However, in order for that to happen I need to apply and be accepted. I also need to take the GMAT. So.

1. First things first. I will buy a GMAT study book before the end of the week.
2. I will take the GMAT before May.
3. I will have my application complete and submitted before the end of May.

Writing
I will meet with my mom once a week and work on writing her story.
I will write one poem per month.
I will continue to blog regularly.
I will read voraciously.

Lifestyle
I will walk the puppy every day, weather permitting.
I will eat healthy foods in appropriate portions.
I will exercise.
I will improve my correspondence.
When my square footage allows, I will play the piano every day.
Before I die, I will learn to play the cello.