Sunday, September 20, 2020

A Hopeful Couple of Updates

 Just a couple of updates:


Hah, I didn't realize until I decided to do this update that my last two posts were about future goals.  

My future.  

Recently, I haven't thought about my future in any sort of positive way.  

Sure, I admit it,  I may be spending way too much time wallowing around somewhere down in the deep dark crevices of gloom and doom. But, apparently, subconsciously, there appears to be, although somewhat dim at times, a light of hope flickering through those crevices. 

The first of my last two posts was about knitting socks.  My goal?  Knit 100 pairs of socks.  

The update? Since that post I have knit another 5 pairs, which brings the total to 19 pairs.

One of the pairs was specially custom made for Ross.  Can you guess which one?

I have been knitting on other things in between.  Or I should say I have started several other projects.  That's what I like about these little socks.  Once I cast on a pair I seem to be driven to finish them.  It's the goal thing.  I'm convinced of that. 

The second of my last two posts was written two weeks ago on September 6.  It was  about a "weight loss" journey I have set upon.  In that post I talked about how I had begun to walk 20-30 minutes a day, six days a week.  

At the time I figured that's all I would need to do to loose the LB's.  But, as I soon found out, walking  wasn't going to be enough.

Last week I added an eating plan to the goal.  I started out using the "My Fitness Pal" app.  It's a great app.  But, it didn't seem to be working for me.  My daughter recently started using the WW (weight watchers)  app.  She said she liked it.  I signed up a few days ago.  For now, I do like it better than "My Fitness Pal".  For the record, I have lost 3 pounds.  

I'm still walking.  And now I have Ross walking with me.  I walk a bit faster than he does, so I walk ahead of him, turn around walk back to him, and then walk ahead of him again.  Sometimes he takes a little rest. 


While I was writing this post the phrase "Hope Springs Eternal" came to mind.  It seemed appropriate to use that somewhere in this post.  I decided to research the origin of the phrase before I included it.  I wanted to make sure I was using it correctly. 

The phrase is taken from "An Essay on Man: Epistle I" by Alexander Pope. written in 1733. 

I had never read it and I found it quite powerful.  I will re-read it again and again.  

Here is the section containing the "Hope Springs Eternal" phrase:

"Hope humbly then; with trembling pinions soar;

Wait the great teacher Death; and God adore!

What future bliss, he gives not thee to know,

But gives that hope to be thy blessing now.

Hope springs eternal in the human breast:

Man never is, but always to be blest:

The soul, uneasy and confin'd from home,

Rests and expatiates in a life to come."

 My interpretation of his meaning is that it is the hope of an eternal life to come which enables us to endure through this life.  What do you think?

My hope to complete rather less lofty goals seem to be quite attainable here on this earth and in this life. 



Links to my last two posts are here:

"100 Pairs of Shorties"

Cheer Me On

Sunday, September 6, 2020

Cheer Me On!

Oh boy!  For the past few months, I intentionally haven't been weighing myself.  You know how even if you don't get on the scale you just know that if you did, you wouldn't be surprised?
It's not even a matter of my clothes not fitting the same,  I feel the extra heavy I've been lugging around.
I wondered if the weight of the world's problems along with my own personal woes, had somehow slowed down my metabolism.   Of course it couldn't be my past six month couch potato-ness or the nightly snack of cookies, ice cream or pie, could it?  I have a sneaky suspicion that it's combination of it all sprinkled with a dusting of depression.

Yeah, so last week I did step on the scale.  And yeah, I wasn't shocked.

But what to do about it.

I thought, I know I will start a blog series on how I'm going to cut the heavy loose.   I'm tired of carrying it around.  It's exhausting.
I know what you're thinking.  "Oh no not another blogger thinking  their public forum space will be a great incentive to stay honest and on track.  Ha!  Like that ever works.  Usually, the series just fades away somewhere between gung-ho and giving up."  That's what you're thinking, isn't it?

I'll pretend I didn't hear that.

So, this week I walked 6 of the 7 days.  I'm taking today off.  It's Sunday.
I'm starting off slow, walking about a 20 minute mile, and walking an average distance of about an extra 1.5 miles a day.
My muscles ache and I haven't lost an ounce.  However, I'm still at the gung-ho stage and not ready to give up.

Cheer me on.  It might help to stretch out the "I'm Going To Lose Weight, You'll See" series for at least another week.

Thanks
😀