It feels so much like autumn today. Don’t you love the word autumn? It is so much better than the word fall. Since I live in sunny California, I enjoy the anticipation of the cooler weather much more than when I lived in the Northwest. Living there, I was sad to see summer go, always thinking it was just too short! Now that I live in a climate that has well over six months of warm weather, I’m excited to see change.
The air is crisp and clean. I have opened most of the windows in the house, letting the curtains billow as the breeze sweeps in. Most of the sky has thick clouds, suggesting there could be rain, although I think that probably won’t happen.
I have decorated my house in blues and browns, perfect for autumn. Maybe I’ll find some colorful leaves to display. They will have to be fake leaves of course, since the trees around here are still bright green.
During autumn I can make butternut squash soup, pull out the long-sleeved sweaters, and sip an eggnog latte. It is not uncommon to see orange lights springing up all over the place. My kids sleep longer because of the darker hours. It is a wonderful time!
Let’s celebrate the change of season! As the days get darker, our hope can feel brighter because we are on the cusp of a wonderful season. I know that it is still technically summer, but I’ll say it anyway. Happy Autumn, everyone!
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Better than a BandAid
This morning as my two kids were taking baths in the kitchen sink, I suddenly heard a scream, followed by another scream and another. Then both kids were crying their little hearts out. I was standing about two feet away and rushed to them as quickly as I could. I immediately discovered the trouble. Lance, my one-year-old, had grabbed the faucet lever and turned it to hot. The poor kids were under a stream of scalding water!
After a big fluffy towel, lots of hugs, and cups of milk, both kids quieted down. They were fine, just a little stunned. So was I. Two feet away is two feet too far, I guess!
From the time we are kids, we are treated for scrapes and owies much like I treated my kids. When we’re hurt, we want attention, comfort, and food! Unfortunately, we do not always have access to a hug, and eating can pile on more hurts if it gets out of hand. So what can we do to comfort ourselves when we are in pain?
Here are a few ideas that might help if and when we get an injury and need some comfort:
Look through a photo album of good memories and people you love. This takes the mind off the pain, and may release chemicals that reduce the pain-processing areas of the brain.
Inhale green apple scent. I have read about studies that have linked a sniff of green apple to reducing pain of a migraine headache. Who knows if it works, but it’s worth a try.
Assume the best. Studies have shown that people who were told to expect pain to be mild-moderate reported less pain than people who were told to expect moderate-severe, even when the procedure was the same for both groups. (I certainly wouldn’t sign up to be a guinea pig in that study.)
Spend time with your BFF. This could be the most affective way to help with any pain, be it physical or emotional. An extra hug can change the horrible to manageable.
After a big fluffy towel, lots of hugs, and cups of milk, both kids quieted down. They were fine, just a little stunned. So was I. Two feet away is two feet too far, I guess!
From the time we are kids, we are treated for scrapes and owies much like I treated my kids. When we’re hurt, we want attention, comfort, and food! Unfortunately, we do not always have access to a hug, and eating can pile on more hurts if it gets out of hand. So what can we do to comfort ourselves when we are in pain?
Here are a few ideas that might help if and when we get an injury and need some comfort:
Look through a photo album of good memories and people you love. This takes the mind off the pain, and may release chemicals that reduce the pain-processing areas of the brain.
Inhale green apple scent. I have read about studies that have linked a sniff of green apple to reducing pain of a migraine headache. Who knows if it works, but it’s worth a try.
Assume the best. Studies have shown that people who were told to expect pain to be mild-moderate reported less pain than people who were told to expect moderate-severe, even when the procedure was the same for both groups. (I certainly wouldn’t sign up to be a guinea pig in that study.)
Spend time with your BFF. This could be the most affective way to help with any pain, be it physical or emotional. An extra hug can change the horrible to manageable.
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Refuse to Lose
Last June at the 2010 Wimbledon Championships, American John Isner rivaled the French qualifier Nicolas Mahut in what was to be the longest match in tennis history. After four sets on Tuesday evening, play was suspended due to darkness. The match was tied at two sets a piece.
The final set resumed the following afternoon. During the course of the afternoon, the record for the longest match was broken. The score board became stuck on 47-47 games and later went dark because it wasn’t programmed for higher numbers. As the evening light faded, the match was again suspended with a tied score.
Play resumed again on Thursday, when at last Isner defeated his opponent. They had played 11 hours and 5 minutes over three days with a total of 183 games.
There had to be a loser, but neither man wanted to be the one who lost. These are two men who live life to win. Neither would accept losing, even after hours upon hours of a deadlock.
Tennis may not allow two winners, but both players are winners in my book. How much determination it must have taken to keep pushing, and to refuse to lose. What an inspiration. I might not have the skill to play like Isner or Mahut, but I can have the heart to try as hard as they do.
The final set resumed the following afternoon. During the course of the afternoon, the record for the longest match was broken. The score board became stuck on 47-47 games and later went dark because it wasn’t programmed for higher numbers. As the evening light faded, the match was again suspended with a tied score.
Play resumed again on Thursday, when at last Isner defeated his opponent. They had played 11 hours and 5 minutes over three days with a total of 183 games.
There had to be a loser, but neither man wanted to be the one who lost. These are two men who live life to win. Neither would accept losing, even after hours upon hours of a deadlock.
Tennis may not allow two winners, but both players are winners in my book. How much determination it must have taken to keep pushing, and to refuse to lose. What an inspiration. I might not have the skill to play like Isner or Mahut, but I can have the heart to try as hard as they do.
Monday, September 6, 2010
It Could Always Be Worse
There is a Yiddish folktale about a poor man who is feeling overwhelmed living in a small hut with his wife, mother, and six children. He thinks life just can’t get any worse so he goes to his Rabbi for advice. The Rabbi instructs the man to bring one of his goats inside the house for a week. A week later the man returns with even worse complaints. So the Rabbi instructs him to add a chicken. Again the man returns distraught, and the Rabbi instructs him to add the family cow into the house. The man returns completely agitated. Then the Rabbi instructs him to release all the animals. A week later the same man returns, joyful and content to be living in such a state of peacefulness.
Life is sometimes stressful and hectic, and we have every reason to feel agitated from time to time. Still, it never hurts to keep a healthy perspective of “It could always be worse” in the back of our thoughts. Sometimes I play a cheering-up game that goes like this: (Fill in the blank.) At least I don’t have to deal with _____________ or _____________.
The other day I was riding in the car with two grumpy kids, and was feeling rather blue myself. I looked out the window and saw a young man riding along the sidewalk in an electric wheelchair. He had no movement below his neck. And I suddenly felt that my troubles were very minor.
There are times when life piles up and feels overwhelming, even when we have loads of blessings. There are times when we feel down and discouraged. But it’s really not that bad, is it? After all, it could always be worse.
Life is sometimes stressful and hectic, and we have every reason to feel agitated from time to time. Still, it never hurts to keep a healthy perspective of “It could always be worse” in the back of our thoughts. Sometimes I play a cheering-up game that goes like this: (Fill in the blank.) At least I don’t have to deal with _____________ or _____________.
The other day I was riding in the car with two grumpy kids, and was feeling rather blue myself. I looked out the window and saw a young man riding along the sidewalk in an electric wheelchair. He had no movement below his neck. And I suddenly felt that my troubles were very minor.
There are times when life piles up and feels overwhelming, even when we have loads of blessings. There are times when we feel down and discouraged. But it’s really not that bad, is it? After all, it could always be worse.
Friday, September 3, 2010
Update
Dear Readers,
As of Monday, September 6, all Facebook blog posts will be dispatched through the My Daily Avocado Facebook page. If you want to keep reading the daily posts, there are a few different ways to do it.
First, you can go to http://www.facebook.com/mydailyavocado and click on the word “Like.” You will become a fan and receive all blogs and posts from My Daily Avocado.
Second, you can go to http://www.mydailyavocado.com and enter your email address to be sent the blog each morning.
Third, you can follow the blog on http://www.myavocado.blogspot.com.
Have a wonderful and healthy Labor Day Weekend!
Kimberly
As of Monday, September 6, all Facebook blog posts will be dispatched through the My Daily Avocado Facebook page. If you want to keep reading the daily posts, there are a few different ways to do it.
First, you can go to http://www.facebook.com/mydailyavocado and click on the word “Like.” You will become a fan and receive all blogs and posts from My Daily Avocado.
Second, you can go to http://www.mydailyavocado.com and enter your email address to be sent the blog each morning.
Third, you can follow the blog on http://www.myavocado.blogspot.com.
Have a wonderful and healthy Labor Day Weekend!
Kimberly
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Counting Calories, Day 4: Why keeping score works
Call me competitive, but I always like keeping score in a game. There is something powerful about seeing the numbers in writing, especially when you win. And if you lose, you can show your opponent how close of a match it was, or that you would have won if the game had ended five minutes sooner. It is all there in writing after all.
I loved being a student because I’d get that wonderful thing called a report card. I was always excited to get an essay back from a teacher because if you turned to the last page you would see that little letter with a circle around it indicating your grade. Some teachers used a fat red pen, like they were shouting at you on paper. But my favorite teacher always wrote our grade in pencil. It showed he trusted us. Those small penciled letters were the highlight of my week.
Knowing that someone is keeping score or writing down a grade makes me try hard. I love to see those winning numbers, bold or quiet. Perhaps this is why writing down my calories is so effective for me. I see the marks; I am pleased with myself. I hardly ever have the heart to splurge into an eating frenzy when I know I will write down what I eat. In fact, recording the numbers provokes me to make the right choice consistently.
So why don’t I write down the numbers every day for every food I eat? It sounds like the ticket to success. I smile when I ponder that question because I really do know the answer. When I want to succeed, I write down the numbers. When I feel like throwing caution to the wind and giving up for the day, I don’t write the numbers down. So the real question is, do I want to succeed?
I loved being a student because I’d get that wonderful thing called a report card. I was always excited to get an essay back from a teacher because if you turned to the last page you would see that little letter with a circle around it indicating your grade. Some teachers used a fat red pen, like they were shouting at you on paper. But my favorite teacher always wrote our grade in pencil. It showed he trusted us. Those small penciled letters were the highlight of my week.
Knowing that someone is keeping score or writing down a grade makes me try hard. I love to see those winning numbers, bold or quiet. Perhaps this is why writing down my calories is so effective for me. I see the marks; I am pleased with myself. I hardly ever have the heart to splurge into an eating frenzy when I know I will write down what I eat. In fact, recording the numbers provokes me to make the right choice consistently.
So why don’t I write down the numbers every day for every food I eat? It sounds like the ticket to success. I smile when I ponder that question because I really do know the answer. When I want to succeed, I write down the numbers. When I feel like throwing caution to the wind and giving up for the day, I don’t write the numbers down. So the real question is, do I want to succeed?
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Counting Calories, Day 3
My husband had the day off so we decided to go to Ikea. I was looking forward to finding some house decorating items and I was surprised that Jay was so willing to go. After we arrived at the store I realized why he was so willing to traipse along. I found him in the remodeling area working on work stuff—on his day off. After he had his fun working, it took us quite a long time to make it through the maze of a store. By this time both kids and parents were tired and hungry.
We decided to make use of the in-store food court. I chose what I thought to be the most sensible item on the menu—a buffalo chicken wrap. It consisted of white chicken breast meat, wrapped in a tortilla with lettuce and shredded cheese. Try as I did later, I could not find nutritional information to tell me how many calories I ate. So I tried piecing it together.
As far as I could tell the wrap had no sauces or mayonnaise in it. It was also a bit dry. I ended up dipping it in barbeque sauce.
Chicken breast meat: 129 calories
Flour tortilla 10 inches long: 234 calories
Cheese: 90 calories
BBQ sauce: 30 calories
Green lettuce: 5 calories
Total: 488 calories
It was a bit more difficult calculating the one meatball and three fries I ate, or the four licks of ice cream I had because my daughter was letting it melt too fast. Even the calculations I did make were guesses to a certain extent.
Later on my husband, ever the internet research guru, found the calories listed for the buffalo chicken wrap off of a website from someone who claims to know. 275 calories. I guess I overestimated by a long shot. Maybe I’ll go have another one.
We decided to make use of the in-store food court. I chose what I thought to be the most sensible item on the menu—a buffalo chicken wrap. It consisted of white chicken breast meat, wrapped in a tortilla with lettuce and shredded cheese. Try as I did later, I could not find nutritional information to tell me how many calories I ate. So I tried piecing it together.
As far as I could tell the wrap had no sauces or mayonnaise in it. It was also a bit dry. I ended up dipping it in barbeque sauce.
Chicken breast meat: 129 calories
Flour tortilla 10 inches long: 234 calories
Cheese: 90 calories
BBQ sauce: 30 calories
Green lettuce: 5 calories
Total: 488 calories
It was a bit more difficult calculating the one meatball and three fries I ate, or the four licks of ice cream I had because my daughter was letting it melt too fast. Even the calculations I did make were guesses to a certain extent.
Later on my husband, ever the internet research guru, found the calories listed for the buffalo chicken wrap off of a website from someone who claims to know. 275 calories. I guess I overestimated by a long shot. Maybe I’ll go have another one.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)