The Well Update: The Well-Tuned Body

See below to find out about these pictures!

I didn't expect this all to go on for so long, but this has been a good exercise for me to go through each component of the Well Update more thoroughly.

Well-Tuned Body

I have been building up from 1 mile on May 3rd with my Fitness walking class to a 15-mile day on September 16th in preparation for the Camino de Santiago from Sarria. I was fine until nine days ago when I started having pain while going downhill in Peavy Arboretum on September 22nd. I had it again after 3 miles on the flat on September 23. I went straight to the doctor on Monday morning and was so glad I did because the IT band was rubbing over the knee, and it had swollen. It is the repetitive motion that did it (coupled by having one leg shorter than the other, tight hips and legs, going on uneven surfaces in places like the arboreteum, etc.). So, I have a plan (already put that in a previous post).

What was so discouraging though was getting on the doctor's scale and discovering I had not lost as much weight as I thought. I have followed my Weight Watchers plan FAITHFULLY since July 27th. I was not weighing because I wanted to do it by "feel," and I discovered my capacity for self-deception is great! I have come to the conclusion that WW is more for people who do not eat very healthy and have a lot of weight to lose, and the "points" reward you for eating healthy things, but I already eat healthy things, and not counting any points for fruit means I don't lose. I LOVE FRUIT more than candy or even ice cream! Fruit is ZERO points. So, I ate a lot of fruit, and now that I am back on LoseIt (free or $20 a year for tons of cool features, but I have mostly used the free version since 2/2010), those fruits were adding a LOT of calories to my day. I had a lot of self-condemnation (even looking at myself in the mirror and scolding myself - yikes), and I was angry that I missed 9 weeks of losing because I was deceiving myself by not weighing. I am tall, and the weight on me just distributes itself. It is just hard to tell when I am losing, but I noticed my rings were not getting looser on my hand, and that usually happens when I lose weight. 

I am technically not overweight in the first place but at the top of my ideal weight range, but I always feel so much better in the middle of the range. 

I am comparing WW and LoseIt this week, and on their plan, I am eating between 10-14 points while I am following a calorie method in LoseIt. WW gives me 23 points a day plus adds points for all the exercise, and I exercise a LOT. I never used all my bonus points each week, and I was still NOT losing! (Maybe I lost about 5 pounds in 8 weeks? I am not sure because I was deceiving myself by not weighing.) I like WW because it is quicker to log, but I would rather take a little extra time weighing and measuring and losing weight than not losing without weighing and measuring. It has gone much better with LoseIt! I am 10 lbs. behind my goal and wasted time and money, but the self-condemnation is over now. It was a growing experience for me. 

About the exercise. I was walking so much. I burn100 calories per mile. I was doing Pilates pretty consistently for the last month, but this new program of stretching and strengthening that the doctor and Jennifer, my adorable physical therapist, have for me take an HOUR to complete! I realize that I was not stretching enough before I went for my walks, and my glute strength had decreased since I was not teaching four classes a week. I need a balance between bodywork and calorie burn. I have done the exercises for six days now, and I can already feel a difference. I am resting from walking for ten days, and I enjoy it. The weather has been beautiful for the last two days, but I am sticking to the instructions.

Speaking of sticking to the instructions, I was given a cream to apply to the swelling in my knee, and after four days of doing this, my knee got all these welts on it and inflamed red. I called the doctor on Saturday night and got a nice nurse who asked me lots of questions and told me I am OK and was an allergic reaction. I think I did not wait long enough to go in the shower after I put it on. The heat from the shower apparently makes it stronger. I am going to discontinue it totally because that was scary! My swelling has also gone down, and I will keep icing it until I see Jennifer on Wednesday.

My back is doing great! I am grateful. The tight IT band is no doubt related to the chain or my left side with tight hips that influence my back on the left side also. So, the exercises help my back also.  I feel really good other than the knee.

I have to say that I have loved the rest. Jennifer says I should have been tapering anyway. So, I will just do shorter walks from now on.

Rest and pause. When I did my Corrective Exercise Specialist certification, they made a big deal about an hour of total rest every day, and I am doing that in silent/centering prayer. I think this is important for my body and my soul to have complete inner stillness (of the body), inner silence (of the mind), and inner solitude (of the heart alone with God)! See my article on this on my website: 

Contemplative Rest in a Busy World

I think I am prepared in heart, soul, mind, and strength for the Camino. I am praying God protects and guides all nine of us as we go on this dream adventure. 

The Well Update - The Well-Educated Mind

 

I have not delved this deep into a Well Update in YEARS! I think it is because I am tapering off on my spiritual direction appointments and have tapered off (and stopped until next Wednesday) on my walking. I only had about seven hours of direction both individual and group. (It was supposed to be nine, but I had one who didn't show up (twice) and a cancellation due to internet issues.) And I am devoting about an hour to concentrated stretching and strengthening with a bit of Pilates. I should be swimming, but I am not too worried about my cardio on the Camino. That is good (but I digress and appropriate for the "Well-Tuned Body" portion of this Well update! LOL!)

The Well-Educated Mind

I didn't even want to do this part of the update because I have not been working through the book pictured above. I am #9 out of 2,126 people on the List Challenge for this book. (#1 is probably not true because there is NO WAY a person would have read every single book on that list - unless the author is on the list challenge, but this "Guest" has done it on all the reading lists. Very suspicious, but I digress once again.) When George saw me eyeing this book while at the library, he said, "There she goes again." I love a challenge. If you are new to my blog, from 2002-2013, I read 287 classics. So I thought my "lists" were done until this book. I am reading books I have never even heard of, and most of the time, I have really liked them! (Some have been duds but not many.)

But alas, I have had other things going on. Since I picked up this list, I have had reading for certifications in Spiritual Direction, the Enneagram, NASM Personal Training with Women's Fitness, Weight Loss, Corrective Exercise Specializations (NASM-CPT, CES, WFS, WLS), and Mental Health Coaching. I read nine books for the Order of the Mustard Seed too. I am also reading four Renovare Book Club books every year. So, I sprinkle these in between, and I will be very old if I finish this list! LOL!

All that to say is that I LOVE to learn. I am thirsty for learning. I cannot help myself. I love to learn and then apply. Rinse. Repeat. 

Lately, I have been reading books about the Camino de Santiago (The Way is Made by Walking) and the inward soul journey (Soul Journey). 

I also read at least 52 books a year. I'm at 41. The last from the 1000 Books List I read was Instead of a Letter. The ones I read for spiritual enrichment are so much more edifying, but when I read from the 1000 Books List. I learn compassion for people. I won't stop this new challenge, even though sometimes they are a bit edgy for me! I won't obsess over it. My "BHAG" (Big Hairy Audacious Goal) was the 287 books nine years ago. This is just icing and more LEARNING! 

I am loving my reading journey with more spiritual books this year. (Renovare Book Club has some wonderful ones this year, and I have the possibility of nine people in our group!)

I am also taking another certification course in EMDR because I am fascinated by it. 

I am also learning so much as I prepare PowerPoints for each of the Enneagram types and then teach them to my directees! I go deeper, and I understand people and myself so much better. That is another kind of "education"!

I am also learning about IT bands! But that will be my next installment of The Well Update! 

TTFN.

The Well Update - The Well-Watered Soul

The Well Update Continued

Well-Watered Soul

This is one area I can say is great! I have such beautiful rhythms built into my life these days. 

I water my soul in the mornings through Lectio Divina in the Psalms and just praying through them and journaling about what phrases hit me. I decided to go through them in The Passion Translation, and that has been really delightful for me. 

Then I have been doing my rolling and stretching while I listen to Pray as You Go and/or Lectio365. I have a whole group of exercises that the doctor gave me on Monday and some more that Jennifer, PT gave me on Wednesday, so I have loved doing this rolling and stretching more meditatively.

 (Sometimes that leads me to a routine of Pilates right afterward or a long training walk for the Camino where I often intercede for those he lays on my heart - since I am not able to walk right now, it is more Pilates and core work.) 

Then it is spiritual direction sessions either with individuals or in small groups (which I find watering to my soul). I love preparing for these. 

I also work on curriculum development for different things. They are all related to spiritual direction and Enneagram with Ignatian spirituality. Even though I am "working," these are always nourishing for my soul too!

I take a midday break for Silent Prayer with either the nuns in East Mosely outside of London or with Jo and the OMS/Seed Community on Mondays and Wednesdays. Sometimes I lead these too. 

Afternoons vary considerably. I am having more and more sessions with directees in the afternoon (at some point, I need to limit the number, but people leave, and others come to fill their spots, so it works out to be about 2-3 sessions a day Monday-Thursday with a maximum of 1 on Fridays (and sometimes none like today, woohoo!)

I do tend to crash by about 3 pm (because I get up so early) and usually read or watch the news or a show I have recorded from the night before. I am currently enjoying Survivor and the Amazing Race! 

Evenings vary too. Sunday evenings are often with our Seed Community group. We also have people over for dinner, and I need to get back to doing that more often since George is home now and COVID is over! I also watch something. George and I are having "inside dates" and watching an Anthony Trollope period piece right now. I am not excessive though. I feel like the minute it dries my soul up and becomes desolating, I turn it off and have some evening prayer

I want to water my soul more right before bed, but I always fall asleep during the night Examen. So, I mostly pray through the Examen in the mornings and sometimes midday with the OMS!

Another thing for me to water my soul has been more "Welcoming Prayer" It is Silent/Centering Prayer in the midst of a life. It also overlaps with STOP from the Spiritual Rhythms for the Enneagram by Loughrige and Calhoun. I am a Motions of the Soul Enneagram Educator and Practitioner, and I really love this practice:

• SEE – Stop and ask God to give you the eyes to see from His perspective 
• TRIGGERS – Where did I leave my true self behind?
• OPEN – to HEAD, HEART & GUT HARMONY/IDENTITY NAME [1]
• Whom does God say that I am? What is my “true self” identity? 
• PRESENCE – Intentionally Live into God’s Presence

Not only does it parallel Welcoming Prayer, but it also goes along with the Immunity to Change and One Big Thing concept in the 2 HC. Each personality type has different questions to ask yourself within each category. 

I have loved the inner work God has been doing in me through it!

• [1] This is added to the original STOP material and comes from the book Living Fearless: Exchanging the Lies of the World for the Liberating Truth of God by Jamie Winship. 

The Well Update - The Well-Adjusted Heart

I have not done a freewrite for a while now, and so much has happened.

State of the Well Report (I used to do these all the time, but it has been years)

Heart 

Hmm. How is my heart? My blog heading says, "One woman's journey to wellness through a well-adjusted heart." Hmm. How is it? Let me feel the feelings. In the last day, I had my heart moved by a directee who learned about her strong instinctual variant toward the social, and she was so enthusiastic to learn all about it and wanted to gather spiritual directors to have me do a training on it (like I do for the Bollers 2-3 times a year for their spiritual directors in training). I was just excited to have her grasp the material and be so enthusiastic about it. She is such a sweetheart, and that warms my heart.

My heart hurt because of the interaction with the person organizing our trip on the Camino. I think she is 1) new, 2) not totally fluent in English, and 3) not the best communicator. But the good news: I did not go into any sort of anger mode with her, and I calmly dealt with her for the last nine days. So, I am sad that she did not lay out all our options right away because it ended up costing more money in the long run, and that was a little disappointing. But I think God is telling me to let go of it and just move on. I think she feels bad about it, and I don't think she understands how poorly she communicated through the whole thing. Not sure I would recommend this company to handle our logistics again too.

I feel a bit afraid: 1) my knee will not be ready to go 71 miles for 5 days in 20 days. My PT thinks it will be great, and the swelling has gone down, and I am thankful this did not happen WHILE I was walking on the Camino. So I am glad that my training brought this out 4 weeks before instead of in the middle of walking. I had already peaked with my training and was going to taper anyway. So I am thankful and afraid at the same time. 

2) That I will be overwhelmed with the number of people going. I have already decided that I cannot focus on that many people so have to be selective. It is the fault of the Type Two to think I have to be involved with everyone, and that is not possible with that many people. So I am focusing, and I know that we will have Elizabeth to spend time with afterward when we go to Belfast. 

3) That airlines will charge us extra for baggage even though I reserved airlines that said we could bring a carry-on. So that is somewhat disconcerting for me. I know they contract out and things get lost in the translation (and refunds don't happen - as Delta Airlines has recently proven.)

So that last one I realize I am still ANGRY at Delta for the way we were handled in April. 

I feel joyful about going on the Camino though, and I have loved the inward journey journaling that I have done. It will be a good trip. I know it.

I feel peaceful when I think about the spiritual journey I am on.

I feel uncertain about whether I should say yes to a small group of leaders in my church. I think I am a perfect fit to lead it, but do I have the capacity even if I postpone it until January?

There is a lot of emotion there. I will say that overall, the things I am leading, both in individual spiritual direction and in the small groups I facilitate (Silent Prayer, OMS, Renovare, 2HC), are all bringing me much joy. But can I add another one to the mix? OMS will stop, and I will replace that with the Deepen III, but can I do the leaders from my group. 

I have prayed for all of this for years. Now the fires are set, and there is a glorious blaze developing that does not seem to be blowing out. The vision you gave me is coming true! So that excites me and scares me all in the same breath!

Here is the picture you gave me of that:

Well, that was 20 minutes. So I will do another freewrite tomorrow about my other things: 

"What makes the desert beautiful is that somewhere it hides a well" (The Little Prince by de Saint-Exupéry). One woman's journey to wellness through a well-adjusted heart, well-watered soul, well-educated mind, and well-tuned body. "Love the Lord your God with all your HEART, and with all your SOUL, and with all your MIND, and with all your STRENGTH" (Mark 12:30-31).

The Road to Santiago: Inner Preparation Questions

INNER PREPARATION FOR THE CAMINO [1]

A majority of those setting out on the Camino de Santiago give a religious or spiritual reason for going, yet few appear to undertake any conscious inner preparation for the journey. It is so easy to allow the demands of our life to rob us of time for such preparation. We take our tired bodies and neglected souls and dump them at the start of the Camino and trust that all will be well. And, of course, all will be well and our physical and spiritual muscles will become rejuvenated – it’s just that warm-up exercises can speed our rate of recovery and maximize the benefits. A pilgrim travels on two paths simultaneously and must pay attention to both. When we place ourselves on the pilgrim path we sow the intention to stretch and expand soul consciousness so that we can lift ourselves out of the mundane in order to journey back to God…the Source from whence we came.

• ·        Why are you doing the Camino?
• ·        How do you differentiate pilgrimage from a long-distance walk?
• ·        How do you define spirituality – what does it mean to you?
• ·        How is your spirituality expressed at home and work?
• ·        What do you see as the primary purpose of your life?
• ·        Are you working consciously towards fulfilling that purpose?
• ·        How clear are you on your goal and the right direction for you at this time?
• ·        How will you recognize resistance to any changes that might be necessary?
• ·        When did you first become aware of a desire to take a time-out?
• ·        What prompted you originally to go on the Camino?
• ·        Did the prompt come from something that you felt needed changing?
• ·        Make a list of what appears to be blocking any change from happening.
• ·        What help might you need on a practical, emotional, and spiritual level?
• ·        How will you recognize the right help or correct answer?
• ·        What are the joys and challenges in working towards your unique potential?
• ·        What are your next steps towards fulfilling that potential?

How aware are you of the following? Score yourself on a level of 1-10 and compare these scores again on your return from the Camino.

• ·        Awareness of your inner spiritual world
• ·        Clarity on what inspires you and the capacity to live your passion
• ·        Confidence to follow your intuitive sense of the right direction
• ·        Ability to recognize your resistance and patterns of defense
• ·        Ease with asking for and receiving support from others

---

[1] A Pilgrim’s Guide to the Camino de Santiago: A Practical & Mystical Manual for the Modern Day Pilgrim by Jon Brierley, p. 36, 38. (Text changed to American spelling.)

Noticing Examen Freewrite

Frank Concluding Kubb by
Knocking Down the King!

Deep breath - God be with me. I ask for your light to see my day through your eyes.

Two or three things I am grateful for:

• Finishing the Cycle of Grace recordings for Eric
• Recording one for me too!
• BBQ with George's colleagues with a walk by Cathi and Jerry's!

Where did you accept God's invitation to be loving, grateful, and be your true self! Where did you turn away from this? Where was God in your day?

Morning - 

A long and loving look at God meditating deeply in Psalm 27. Sabbath prayer with Lectio365. Meditation in Pray As You Go. Silent/Centering prayer with Mercy Center with Catherine coming back to lead. I noticed God in the easy of finishing up the Cycle of Grace, and how much joy it gave me. 

Middle of the Day

I kept working on the Cycle of Grace and went straight to recording. I missed my Corvallis Centering Prayer meeting, but I was "on a roll"! I recorded the first one for 11 minutes, the second for 22 (so much material to cover that is so foundational), and 11 minutes for the conclusion. 

Started my Challah bread while the recording was converting and so enjoyed it. 

Afternoon

Recorded one for myself that had more of my personality and details. It was an HOUR! LOL!

I figured I might as well record one for me since I had make-up on already. 

We played Kubb (a Swedish game - see photos above). I was hesitant at first, but I ended up enjoying it and might even buy a set!

Evening 

We took a walk after dinner. My back was starting to bother me, and I tried to get contact with George to switch seats. I didn't want it to go out by sitting so long at a chair with no back. Then they suggested the walk, and I was so happy. Then I was happier when I noticed we were right behind Cathi and Jerry's house, and I got to talk to Cathi! So fun.

I watch a bit of a movie by Diane Keaton (Baby Boom), but I started falling asleep.

Regrets

A little frustrated with George that he didn't notice my discomfort. He gets in "other people mode" and often doesn't check in with me. But I told him how often I was trying to get his attention. It was healthy. I just went and got a chair with a back from the dining room and fixed the issue. 

DEEP BREATH

One thing that was especially meaningful:

I think feeling the freedom to have a bit of my personality in the recordings and letting go of pleasing Eric. If it is not the way he wants it, I can record them after the Camino, but I don't want to crowd my head with anything between now and then. It was meaningful to review my breakdown. What a teacher that was. Thank you, Lord, for the breakdown. LOL! I really am so grateful for it because it is a story to tell others! 

Look forward to the day to come

Love on Manar and lead Silent Prayer. Talk with Debbie at Deepen.

I pray for the grace to see you in the next day.

(This is from listening to a Podcast by Father James Martin.) 

Wednesday FreewriteF

Back to the Chip Ross Trail I almost fainted on July 13.
 Not as hot, in the shade, and went down it instead of up it this time!

I figure it is time to post another freewrite. I am up early for time with God, and I have all these thoughts. 

Pray as You Go was about wisdom. I think that is definitely what I need. Opportunities abound. It was good that I let go of attending and helping lead the 3rd Watch for the OMS in this season (and maybe forever). I really love the OMS. It has been so good for me to have that community rule of life to evaluate and fall back on, but I am not sure, at this juncture, what my involvement should be in the future. I am almost certain I will probably not lead another Year of Preparation Cohort in order to make way for a Contemplative Cohort with four women who live internationally. 

I also want wisdom about this offer that came up last week. I am somewhat surprised about it. I have an opportunity to lead a cohort of new spiritual directors who are also cross-cultural workers. I would facilitate ongoing development in their life and supervision as they head out as new spiritual directors. I think that is pretty much my dream job and came at the same time my church had approached me about leading a cohort of people who have gone through their leadership/development program. So there is that. 

I also was asked to co-write a blog post with my spiritual director, Fran. That was something that hung over my head for days (even dreaming about it). But I set a timer for 15 minutes and did a freewrite about it. With only minor adjustments, I sent it to Fran. Now, I have to retype some things because Fran sent it in a program I cannot edit. Ugh!

On top of all that, Eric asked me to make a video of me leading people through the Cycle of Grace. I think that will be quick, and I can use that in the future. 

I also need to finish well with the Fruitful Disciple Podcasts. I have to attach resources to my interviews with A and D. I have started A's. 

So, I have some projects to do. But they are all things I am passionate about and love to do!

On a great note, my eating has been on target for five weeks straight! I have done the Personal Points Program of Weight Watchers, and it has been great. I think it is coming off much more slowly because fruits and fat-free yogurt are free, and I love those! I like the flexibility though, and I have eaten out for our dates and still lost weight because I make up for it on other days and have a LOT of exercise points that are added to my weekly points total. I think I have lost between 10 and 15 points which is what I really wanted to lose. I want to lose a bit more. I am still in the normal range for my weight, but I think as I have gotten older when I do gain, much of it is in my stomach! I don't like the bulge! So, my love handles are gone, but now, I want my stomach to go away! LOL! It is going well, and K and I are doing it together. WW works for me for some reason. It is more doable now that they don't have all these ridiculous questions I have to answer before I can get out of the "track your weight part." They are optional now. Whew. They have also done away with the rewards program (I think because I am not getting extra points added every time I log a meal.)

So much more to log, but I think the things I need to do are good enough. It was good to just get it down on paper. Today we meet with a married couple early this morning. After that, I have the rest of the day to work on projects. 

TTFN

For Those Awakening to the Shadow by John O'Donohue

Photo by Engin Akyurt: https://www.pexels.com/photo/silhouette-photo-of-woman-1446948/

For Those Awakening to the Shadow 
by John O’Donohue

 

For everything under the sun there is a time.

This is the season of your awkward harvesting,

When pain takes you where you would rather not go,

 

Through the white curtain of yesterdays to a place

You had forgotten you knew from the inside out;

And a time when that bitter tree was planted

 

That has grown always invisibly beside you

And whose branches your awakened hands

Now long to disentangle from your heart.

You are coming to see how your looking often darkened

When you should have felt safe enough to fall toward love,

How deep down your eyes were always owned by something

 

That faced them through a dark fester of thorns

Converting whoever came into a further figure of the wrong;

You could only see what touched you as already torn.

 

Now the act of seeing begins your work of mourning.

And your memory is ready to show you everything,

Having waited all these years for you to return and know.

 

Only you know where the casket of pain is interred.

You will have to scrape through all the layers of covering

And according to your readiness, everything will open.

 

May you be blessed with a wise and compassionate guide

Who can accompany you through the fear and grief

Until your heart has wept its way to your true self.

 

As your tears fall over that wounded place,

May they wash away your hurt and free your heart.

May your forgiveness still the hunger of the wound

 

So that for the first time you can walk away from that place,

Reunited with your banished heart, now healed and freed,

And feel the clear, free air bless your new face.

Restoring the Woven Cord

I had a choice to read one of two books. I chose The Celtic Way last year and finally got around to reading this one, and I loved it. This one is a much easier read and has some really lovely practical applications. Actually, he quotes quite a bit from The Celtic Way. So, I like them both equally.

This was a very refreshing book to read after Instead of a Letter which I read concurrently with this one. She as anti-God, and this one was all about God. I really identify with Celtic Christianity more than anything. I am glad I am part of the Order of the Mustard Seed. It is the right fit. 

Friday Freewrite Fifteen

I have loved freewrites for many years now. I haven't done one on here for a while. I am so much more inclined to type them now rather than write them, but I did love my four months of the "morning pages." That was great, but I felt like the papers (6 8x10 pages a day) were too much! So, this is what I like better.

We went on a fabulous vacation. Our drive was a little harrowing over The Blues Mountains because they were transporting all these wind turbine bases, and as we were going around the curves, we had to contend with these trucks hauling them and taking two lanes to do it. Oh, and did I mention it was POURING down rain while it was happening. Suffice it to say, I was not kind and was very naggy at George. Then we got stuck behind one of those trucks on the straight part through The Blues when it went to one lane for miles and miles. I had some apologies to do at the end of our trip. I did not like how stressed I got, but as always, George was very forgiving.

We had the cutest little cabin, and there was a trail right out our door to the lake, and George bought these nice carts so we could bring our kayaks down to the water. Paul and George went kayaking the first night, and George and I went the second night, and I think George went alone another night. I cannot remember, but it was so fun.

The best money spent was going on the tram from 4,000 feet to 8,000 feet to see the Eagle Cap Wilderness peaks without a long trail hike up the hill! It was worth every penny to see the spectacular view. (See picture above.) 

I loved our time together. We also went on a hike on Hurricane Creek up to Slick Rock Falls. So beautiful and not too difficult of a hike up for 1.5 hours and back for a little less. 

We also visited with my friend from college, Mary K, and her husband Bob. We played basketball together at OSU, and I had not been to Joseph since her wedding 41 years ago! So it was great tracking her down and visiting with them. On our way out of town, we had brunch with them.

The way back to Corvallis was a lot easier because we took another way through The Blues. Instead of going down onto I-84, we entered a two-lane highway that took us over them at a higher elevation, and there were hardly any cars and not as many sharp curves. NO TRUCK HAULING LARGE OBJECTS either. I was in a much better mood this time.

All the way around it was a great time.

Another good thing about our trip was I did not overeat! I kept with my WW points, and I have lost about 10 pounds altogether; three before WW and seven since I started on July 27th. It has been even easier than the last time I did it because they give you points based on what you like to eat. So, it has been really easy because the Zero-point foods are great. I like filling up on fruits, and I get points added on for drinking 60 ounces of water and for each cup of vegetables. I have not had any sweets since I came back from vacation, and I think I am going to stick with fruits and veggies until I am down to what I would like to be. I think that will be around when we leave for Spain in October. I am doing this slowly. I really need to retrain my eating because I lost my way and forgot about self-care. So, I will be on this for a while, and so far, it is not super time-consuming.

It has helped that I cut out the Third Watch for OMS. I love it, but it was cutting into my morning exercise time as it is too hot to go for walks later in the day, and I cannot get a long walk in as dawn is coming later and later these days. So, I let it go until after the Camino.

Speaking of dawn. I want to get a short walk in before I meet with my friend from Southeast Asia this morning. 

Bye! 

P.S. My friend could only meet for 30 minutes today. So, I got in a 45-minute walk before my next spiritual direction appointment!

Instead of a Letter

I stayed up late and finished this one on the last evening of our vacation. I feel sorry for her. Her rejection of God and her "free" lifestyle really left her a lonely and unhappy person. She couldn't see it, and I left this book feeling very sorry for her. She may have been a famous Brit, but I would not want to be her. 

Here is why James Mustich thinks it should be one of the 1000 Books You Read Before You Die:

James Mustich

Written in the author’s mid-forties, Instead of a Letter tells a story of childhood in the English countryside, high times at Oxford during the 1930s, bleak times during the war; of adolescent romance imagined into being, carried to the brink of adulthood, then lost with crushing effect. The ensuing sadness shadows Athill’s emerging career at the BBC and in the book world—she was one of the founding members of the distinguished publishing firm André Deutsch—until she learns, through the wisdom of work and words, to conjure something like happiness from the vagaries of love and the verities of time.

Old Herbaceous

This was a sweet story about a gardener in England from the time he was a boy to an old man. It made me cry it was so short and sweet. 

Here is why James Mustich thinks it should be one of the 1000 Books You Read Before You Die:

James Mustich

As the protagonist of a novel, Herbert Pinnegar is a rare breed: a gardener. Even the most green-thumbed reader of fiction would have to dig for a very long time before coming upon another example of a horticultural hero. Reginald Arkell’s 1950 tale chronicles Pinnegar’s eight decades in the employ of an English manor, from his youth as a flower-loving orphan to his old age as an estimable master of the plots. Slender in size and humorous in tone, Old Herbaceous is at root a social novel, reflecting the changes, challenges, and eccentricities of English country life from the late Victorian era to the age of the world wars.

Alexander Hamilton

This book is SO EXCELLENT. It is a 36-hour audiobook, but I was spellbound. 

Hamilton was so different from all the other Founding Fathers (and did not own slaves, by the way) in that he came from nothing. I read this in preparation for watching the Hamilton musical.

It is also narrated by one of my favorite narrators: Scott Brick!

Again, Thomas Jefferson looks like a bad guy. He was in John Adams too. History has not been kind to that hypocrite (who did own slaves and didn't even free them when he died).

Here is why James Mustich thinks it should be one of the 1000 Books You Read Before You Die:

James Mustich

Early in his fascinating biography of perhaps “the foremost political figure in American history who never attained the presidency,” Ron Chernow writes that Alexander Hamilton’s “life was so tumultuous that only an audacious novelist could have dreamed it up.” Or, as time would tell, an audacious musical theater impresario: Prompted by his reading of this deeply researched yet compelling tome, Lin-Manuel Miranda would turn its subject’s life into a groundbreaking polyrhythmic spectacle. If Hamilton was not fated to become president, he would, as a consolation prize, become something of a rock star two centuries after his death. “No immigrant in American history has ever made a larger contribution than Alexander Hamilton,” Chernow tells us—and he did it all before his death at forty-seven in a duel with Aaron Burr, our third vice president. He was too protean, too smart, too reckless and charismatic a figure for his full likeness to be caught in a statue, much less on the ten-dollar bill, so one is grateful to Chernow for capturing it in these pages, and for inspiring others to rejuvenate his legacy.

Thursday Freewrite

Worship on the River with our lovely Community!

Here we go for a Freewrite Fifteen! (I wish they would not always try to correct the word Freewrite! I finally added it to this dictionary so it will never tell me I am spelling it wrong again. But I digress.) 

Today is one of those days where it is going slow, and I am glad. I had three morning (two really early) spiritual direction sessions on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, and I did not have anything this morning. I was so glad that I even skipped the Third Watch at 8:30. I had an extra long Examen prayer time, journaling it as I let James Martin guide me through it, and that was something I had not done in a while for a daily one. I often do it for the weekly ones with Pray as You Go. It was insightful for me. One of those morning sessions was the most life-giving thing about my day. I am loving getting to know this new directee that I have. She is so thoughtful. So, it was a joy to hold space with her yesterday. 

I also decided to quit watching news and reality TV. I am taking a break for the next month and going to read more and be more present at home. I get up early and have a long prayer time. Then, I am with people either in direction or prayer watches or meetings or cohorts. Then I always have my exercise time. By 3 pm, I have put in a full day. I will often watch the news in the afternoon. I think I am done. I don't need the negativity. If something really newsworthy comes up, I am sure George will tell me. He reads The Spectator (the oldest British news magazine) and catches up with some podcasts in the evening. I am really loving my 1000 Books to Read Before You Die list this year (last year had some fiction I didn't really care for) and also some spiritual books. I am looking forward to reading Jamie's book Living Fearless I keep recommending it to people but have not sat down and read it myself (mainly because I have heard him speak dozens of times, and I already was on the same page even before I heard him speak). So that is one thing I will do. 

I am so looking forward to the favorite time of year: time with my family! Both my kids have time off this next week. So we are going to do several things together.

I looked at that one post I did about all the stuff that was going on from July 13th to my birthday. We really were BUSY. Things have finally slowed down, and I think I am winding down with the Order of the Mustard Seed Cohort I lead and things are set up and running smoothly with the 2nd Half Collaborative. I was shocked to have two new directee through it that meet TWO TIMES a month as opposed to only one time (which is more normal for a direction schedule). So that and planning the once-a-month 2HC small group meeting was so challenging! That and having Francis and Shelly and also fighting whatever bug I had.

One thing that really made me realize I had a bug was my elevated heart rate. I walked the six miles to church on flat land, and it was at 116 most of the time, and when I went up light hills or increase the speed, it went as high as 143! It is usually about 97 when I am on the flat and maybe 107 when I go at a faster pace. Then when I got to church it STAYED elevated. A resting heart rate of 93 is not the norm for me. So, I think that I was sick.

It had gotten back to normal by the time we went kayaking/paddle boarding with our community, So fun and special. See pictures above.

My times up, but I am hearing "Self-Care September." I will continue with my cardio training for the Camino and bodywork with Pilates. I will still have directees and 2HC, but I am going to cut back on other things. Speaking of Self Care: I made a decision on my birthday to join Weight Watchers again. Kim did it on the same day as me. I have already lost some weight. I am not overweight though. I just like it lower and less of a gut! I feel so great and have been keeping to the plan. WW really is the easiest I have ever used, and you stay motivated! They have changed it a bit (add a point for every 1 cup serving of non-starchy veggies and a point for 60 ounces of water - keeps you fuller and motivates you to add those points you used to get. My base used to be 23 points. Now it is 21! Loving it.)

Game of Thrones

All I can say is, "I get it now." This is a page-turner, and I have to honestly say that I could not put it down and listened to all 34 hours in 8 days. So, it shows you how much I enjoyed it. 

It is really well-written! The story is compelling and character-driven. Very good.

I don't think I can watch the series though. There is a lot of sex in it, but it is not graphically described. So I can tolerate it. And the violence is there, but I don't have to see the blood and gore. 

While I don't think I can continue with the whole series, I might just look for summaries of the remaining books to see where the characters end up. 

Here is why James Mustich thinks it should be one of the 1000 Books You Read Before You Die:

James Mustich

Jul 29, 2018

The plot of A Game of Thrones revolves around a dynastic war among several families, but every step of the way the intricate story lines are personal and visceral. What’s most compelling is that the reader’s understanding of unfolding events is continually transformed by shifting narrative perspectives. Many characters are given not only history, but agency as well, in a way fiction seldom realizes: The reader’s judgment is suspended, then upended, again and again, as heroes shape-shift into villains or get caught in some uncertain liminal state. Martin’s hold on the popular mind derives from his ability to fill the bold outlines of epic fantasy with the gritty colors of historical fiction and from his narrative ruthlessness, which acknowledges that violence and sex are surer motivations than nobility and that circumstantial ambiguity determines more than a fixed moral compass.