Spring Finally Arrived

Happy Sunday and Welcome Spring!

Finally, 6 weeks after the first day of spring, it has actually arrived!  The sun came out and we reached the 70s!  Whoop whoop!  Two days later we hit the 90s … crazy, but so be it!  We live in New York, where anything can happen. So many feelings come to mind with the springtime.  We all let loose a little bit and have more smiles on our faces.  

Spring is a time of rebirth.  The crocuses have bloomed, tulips and daffodils have already arrived and the azaleas are starting to show color.   People start to drive with abandon nor a care in the world…in other words, like idiots.  The motorcycles come from out of nowhere,  weave in and out of traffic and scare the hell out of me.  I like to roll my window down and blast the music because I think I am cool ~ sweaty and hot with menopause, but I think I am still cool.

We all do our New Years resolutions in January,  but Spring is the season of body cleansing and a change of attitude.  A renewal of life – the tree buds are popping and we are starting to see the green.  Even the tree that fell across my lawn 2.5 months ago in that storm, still lays there, but has leaves growing!  It’s killing our lawn, but somehow the tree lives on.

Ahhhh – take a deep breath of fresh spring air and smell whatever is blossoming around you. I am one of the lucky ones who has no outdoor allergies so I absolutely count my blessings for that – the rest of my family – not so much.  Inhalers, nasal sprays, Claritin and Singulair … they shouldn’t take any deep breaths.

 Regardless, people are generally happier.  The Kensico Dam is packed as we have all been freed from the prison of winter.  The winter blues/depression is starting to clear and then it hits — oh dear God, am I going to have to put on shorts soon?  I kinda gave up on the bathing suit a couple of years ago.  Unless you are with me on vacation, you aren’t seeing me in a bathing suit so much.  We need to go back to the 1920s and the bathing dresses. Thank goodness for boyfriend jeans, but I even have to do deep knee bends when I put those on now too. I do my best stretching when I put jeans on — not before or after exercising.

I am 55 and I exercise all year, it’s genetic and mental. If I don’t get my stress out by working out, people (mostly the hubby) should probably watch out. I need the release of endorphins or the other not so nice person inside me may decide to rear her ugly head. Last year, I lost my part-time office job and am only babysitting three times a week so I have more time for me.

I just spent the last 7 months going to GameOn13 twice a week for boot camp and I get on my treadmill 3 or 4 of the other days.  This was going to be my year to get in the best shape ever!  I am stronger for sure and can now do real push-ups, but all that and I realize at my age the best I can do is maybe maintain.  When you hit 50, you have to starve if you want to lose a few.  I don’t think I am capable of skipping any meals.  I like food too much, but it’s Spring and I need to be ready for summer.  All this exercise and not only did I gain weight around the middle, but the cellulite is still there and multiplying.  Why you ask?  How could that still be?  Well, I think I figured it out …

How I Don’t Eat Lunch

I come home from boot camp around 12, I sit on the couch to do some writing, watch tv and see how long I can go without eating.  Breakfast has worn off but if I eat lunch this early, I will be starving by 3.   The first commercial, I should just pick a little for now and I get a couple of crackers and go back to the couch. A few minutes later I get up again and look for something to put on my crackers. I open the fridge and look for my options … we have cream cheese, peanut butter and slices of cheddar cheese.  I decide to only break off a piece of the slice of cheddar and make a cheese and cracker sandwich.

Back to the TV, computer and couch, still unfocused,  I get back up again and go for the home-made peanut butter. Who doesn’t like to eat peanut butter straight out of the container?  A spoon is in my hand and I am back on the couch!  I like to use a teaspoon so mentally I am not eating as much, but when the fog clears and the next commercial comes on, I have made quite a large dent – I better put this away!  I sit back down and look at the computer sitting there and look back at the TV and channel surf.  Remember the Bruce song “57 Channels and Nothin ‘ On”?  Well, now there are like 1000 and still nothing on.

The Monotony Continues …

I get back up and open the pantry and grab the family size bag of kettle popcorn. I only eat one kernel at a time but at warped speed, so 15 minutes later – half the bag is gone, but it’s the 35% less calorie kind so that’s not so bad.  The popcorn is put away and I sit back down. News is all bad and I keep changing the channel.  A few minutes later, I go back to the cabinet again – I don’t want to eat lunch yet, so what else can I pick on?  Oh look, there is a different kind of cracker and this time I will put cream cheese on it.  That satisfies me for maybe three minutes and decide now I want to try those crackers with cream cheese and jelly.  As If I have never had them 20 million times before…but whatever!

Then I sit back on the couch,  look up and see the box is still on the kitchen counter and figure at the next commercial I will get up and put it away.  I had already put away the cream cheese — just forgot the crackers.  I keep eyeing the box and the pressure is mounting.  May as well get up and just get the peanut butter out again and put it on a few more crackers before I put them away.  Maybe I will get some jelly again too.

What Is The Matter With Me …

You would think I smoked pot and had the munchies, but I didn’t, I don’t and haven’t in years.  If I did, I would have put something weird like pickles on there.  So I am done with anything to do with crackers and sit back down. I am sooo bored and try to do some work on the computer. Ten minutes later, I decided to see what else is in the fridge.

I peruse the shelves some more and decide to open the drawer again. Hmmm, I will just break off a little more of that cheese and then I’ll have only eaten half.  Ok, that’s done.  Wait, what’s that all the way against the back in that little container?  Gravy – nope that won’t work but I should probably throw it out because I can’t even remember when it was from.  So I shut the refrigerator and go to the freezer.  Oh, look – a partially eaten ice cream sandwich from The Creamery. I will break off another piece to eat and save the rest for another day.

Commercial over and sit back down – watch 5 minutes of TV bc then the next commercial comes on.  Back to the fridge – there is a little leftover orzo with some butter, olive oil, and edamame – veggies are healthy!  I only take a few heaping spoonfuls, stick that in the microwave – done.  I look at the time, it’s only 2 pm and General Hospital isn’t on until 3. Let’s go to Video on Demand and see what I missed last night – but before I do that, I will make a cup of coffee so maybe I won’t be hungry for a while.

Coffee made with cream and sugar.  I won’t compromise my coffee with diet sugar or no-fat milk.  I don’t do diet coffee. Take a few sips and you know what might taste good with this coffee?  A couple of Trader Joe’s peanut butter cups!  They are small and made of dark chocolate.  Dark chocolate is good for you and I hardly ate any peanut butter before.

 So now I am sitting in front of my TV, trying to write while drinking a cup of coffee. The peanut butter cups never made it to the couch – too much to carry, silly people!  If I just can hold off until dinner. Coffee didn’t work so back to the fridge.  There is a little bit of the lentil soup that I haven’t finished yet.  How did I miss that? It has ancient grains(whatever that is) but it must be good for me and I can add the rest of the orzo.  I will mix that up and stick it in the microwave – all heated up and you know what would be good in there?  The rest of that damn slice of cheese!

I Have To Laugh At Myself

 After I read that all back, I realize my afternoon sounds a lot like “If You Give a Moose a Muffin.”  Instead, we will call it, “If You Give a Sandy a Cracker.” This is why I gave up cheese and crackers for lent.  Fast forward to 7 pm – Joey isn’t hungry yet because he had a snack after track and Freddy can wait to eat dinner, but me – I am freaking starving, I don’t think I even ate lunch today!

I know that I was trying to be funny, but every word of this is true. I have to laugh at myself, which I do quite often. This blog was written last week and then realized I was doing it again and took this picture.  Only now its 5:30 pm on a Thursday and I just got back from babysitting and had 30 minutes to work on my blog before I leave to do volunteer work, so obviously I do this all the time.

I do want to make people laugh and see the humor in everyday life because we need some levity in our lives.  It’s ok to laugh at yourself.

This past week also came with a lot of sad news.  My daughter had a very good college friend pass away, I heard a tragic story of a motorcycle crash and two women I know have had a relapse in their fight against cancer. On a whole different level,  I also know that it went from spring to summer in a couple of days but we live in New York! It has always been this way. The weather is up and down and we can have snow or rain. It can be 40 degrees one day and 80 the next day.  This is where we live — the weather is diverse too.  If you don’t like it — stay inside or go where you do like it, but embrace the day!

Sunday is my favorite day of the week.  A slow day of quality time with yourself and the people you love.  I wish we could go back to the olden days when stores were closed and it was just a family day.  This Sunday, if you are stuck inside, look out the window and enjoy the change in nature and how awesome Spring is; the colors of the flowers blooming, the blue of the sky and the green of the trees.

If you have free time and can, go for a hike, take a walk in the woods or go to the nearest park.  Be amazed at the size and splendor of the trees and the peacefulness – just because you can.  Smile at everyone you make eye contact with and maybe even say Hello.  What an amazing gift God gives us!  Nature is awesome and a powerful meditator and while you are outside enjoy the spring, or even if you are just looking out your window, be grateful to have the choice and say a prayer for those less fortunate.

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