Goals and More

Anne issued a challenge on Fitter Knitters, and you know I love a challenge – and a contest! You know, I discovered while in Chicago on business earlier this week, that it’s not so hard to be fit while traveling. I drank lots of water, ate a salad with every meal (even with the deep dish pie at Giordano’s!), and picked up a piece of fresh fruit every time it was offered. We walked a lot, and I unabashedly packed nothing but my favorite “thong” style Birkenstocks, so hoofing it around the McCormick Center and downtown was almost painless, even at Val’s brisk pace. (She’s not a blogger, folks. She’s my dear friend, who’s just moved back to Jersey after becoming a single mom to two BEAUTIFUL little girls…) Lorraine (a local friend!) and I shared a whole wheat turkey sub one day for lunch, partially because it was a whopping $8.50, but mostly because we knew we didn’t need or want a whole one. A little self-awareness, healthy friends, and it’s a breeze to feel you’re making progress on fitness while traveling!

Some of you know I was in Chicago with four of my best friends for Pampered Chef’s annual conference. They talked a lot about dreams and goals too. I’m still working on that, but it’s interesting that the same words show up in different phases of my life. Do you have dreams? You do know that if you take a deep breath, develop an action plan, and set goals along the way, virtual any dream is achievable, right?! I know that for me, as I’ve aged, I’ve forgotten to dream. Oh, I have goals, but right now, I lack any kind of big carrot out there to motivate me. (Cables though, for my knitting goals, but that’s another post for another day!) Working in a family business, there’s no need to strive for another step on the ladder. When my inlaws retire, Mark and I will step up. No assessments or competition, just the natural life cycle within a family business. I am complacent, and I need to change!

So, how ’bout it? Will you share your dreams with me and help me find something about which I can truly be passionate again? (So much for knitting content, but I did mention cables, right?) I know many of my friends have big, beautiful dreams, and I love to hear about them. They inspire me to reach higher and to continue to work on my personal growth. (I took my shoes off in the airport and cooled my feet on the concrete! I let Missy sit on my bed pillows without freaking out!)

And if you haven’t tried Pampered Chef products, swing by my website and check them out!

Peer Pressure

You don’t hear adults talking about it much, but it still works, I hope…

Fitter Knitters. It’s a concept Anne and Devon came up with, and I embraced. (I also have visions of a book, a tour, and anything else that allows for real time and presence with those two awesome women!)

So, cowboy up, girls. I have. Mugsy and I walk-walked today. (Ask him if he wants to go for a walk, and he cocks his little head. Ask about walk-walk, and he heads for the door.) I could have gone to a yoga class, but my old dog needs to expend energy too, and we had too many rainy days last week. We walk for about 35 minutes, with some significant hills, and he gets to see his girlfriend, another terrier named Tara. Yoga and walking are my “things.” I’m going to strive to do one or the other (or both?!) five days a week.

Food? Sigh. That’s the REAL problem here. I like it. I have fallen in love with McDonald’s Southwestern Chicken Salad, and Quizno’s black and bleu salad, so as long as I stick with those two for lunch, I’m headed in the right direction.

Oh, and Magic Loop sock mate is legged, heeled and the decreased section of the foot is behind me. It’s looking good for a finish tomorrow. That means my dpn sock debut isn’t far away either.

I had a productive weekend in the stash building department. The camera’s in the other room, and some of the purchases were for gifts and prizes, so no pictures. (Picture Zsa Zsa’s hand here.) Besides, if I don’t show you the loot, I can deny that more sock yarn found its way here.

I think a pal of mine has some questions:

Have a question, do you like chocolate? Do you use lotion? If you do, do you like lavendar?

I live for dark chocolate. As a child, I was busted for eating baker’s chocolate. Dark and bitter is good. Dark and minty is heaven. Fruits and nuts in the dark chocolate create a blissful state. Heck, brownies with nuts are fine too!

Lotion. I don’t use it as much as I should, but I’m working on that. Lavendar is great! My sweet yoga instructor has programmed me to head for deep relaxation with a lavendar eye bag. I keep meaning to find one for home use. Now, if I could just get her to make a CD…

To all my pals out there: I really am not hard to please. I love chocolate. Dark, milk, and even white will do, with anything but cherry flavoring in it. I like to read, although this blogging thing and knitting have slowed me down tremendously, unless you count the blogs and knitting books and magazines I read. I like candles, although not as much as my hubby does. As long as you stay away from orange, I like all kinds of colors. I started out insisting I’m not much on purple, but Anne is converting me. It’s not green, pink, red or blue, but it’s not orange either.

I appreciate that you want to please me! That in and of itself is a gift. It’s enough to make me stop pouting about missing the sign-up for the Knitter’s Tea Swap.