Catching Up

Things are looking up for my family and me. Oldest daughter Kathy marrying Mike in December in Florida. Tracey is feeling much better and Debbie is in training for personal fitness program. My blood pressure is stableized with two medications. Tommy's arm is doing okay also. Son in law Carl got his stitches out of his hand this week and is on the mend. Son in law Bobby is doing good on the Disc Golf circuit. By the way Tracey is not half bad at Disc Golf herself.

Tommy, Bobby, Tracey, and Debbie play "Fantasy Football". It's a riot listening to them "draft teams". They have a good time with it.

Grandson, Thomas, is in Peru doing Mission work and going to seminary. He should be through in Peru next August. I'm praying all goes well for him this year. He will get to come back in December for a while, then return to Peru in the year 2013, as I said till August. Then the tough part starts--looking for a job. My heart goes out to him.

Oh, yes. This year Tommy and I celebrated a beautiful 50th Wedding anniversary party at "Beau Reve" on the Neches River. Cousins came from Louisiana, Arkansas, Georgia, and Dallas. Thanks to the children and grand children and guests, we had a wonderful time.

All things considered this 50th year with my dear espoused husband has been a good one.

WEIGHT LOSS REPORT

Well, you'll be happy to know--I've found success. Or maybe you will be interested in the "helps" along the way? Maybe so, I hope you will find the success I have.

I have found success eating less.

I have lost 6 pounds in 2 months.

I must tell you of an aid I have found most helpful. It's a web site called: myfitnessplan.com

With this aid I found, with my son-in-law's help, I have been able to account for the calories and fats I take on every day. I eat sensibly and am able to eat some otherwise "forbidden fruit" so to speak. I stay with chicken or fish mostly and feel like that is a better choice for most days, even though I do eat beef once-in-a-while.

I don't count the calories before I eat. I just enter the data and the site figures the calories for me. In the evening I make sure I haven't had too many calories that day so that I don't eat all the snacks I have been known to eat in the past.

"It works for me" as an actor has been known to say.

Therefore, my advice is eat sensibly, not too many fats or calories and stop eating all the snacks in the evening hours. As your mother would say, "eat all your vegetables". I don't feel like I'm on a "diet" as such. I feel free to be me.

February, 24, 2011

Report On My New Knee

Well, things are looking up. I have been walking regularly for about three weeks. What a difference it has made for me. I first walked 15 minutes, sitting after 5 minutes. I have managed to work up to 30 minutes sitting after 10 minutes. It's difficult with the high blood pressure and pain of my knee.

However, today was good. Yesterday, Sunday was the start of it. I woke up without pain in my right knee. This morning, Monday, I woke up without having pain all night with my left hip and left knee.

I had been overcompensating the pain in my right knee by exaggerating use of my left side. It took its toll for the past three months. I was and am praying really hard my left knee and/or hip don't need replacing.

It's an ordeal I don't want to put my husband nor myself through again. I hope the pain is gone for good.

Dieting Obsession

Well, I've come to the big fork in the road, again, so-to-speak. Will I lose weight or won't I? It's a big decision. There are so many "rules of engagement". So many ways people advise others about weight loss.

One thing for sure: it takes a lot of thought. Do you want to become "obsessed" with food? For most the answer is a resounding "no". Sometimes in the past that is what it has become for me. In the past exercise also has become an obsession in order to lose weight. Therefore I spent most of my day obsessed with weight loss. It's not fun and almost became an illness.

So, I read a book called, "Seven Secrets of Slim People" by Vikki Hanson, M.S.W. and Shawn Goodman. Most of the information people know just because the information has been around a long time. There are some good points to ponder.

I'm going to try a new approach. "Eat sensibly and in moderation and walk regularly." Especially since my family Dr. has advised me to lose at least 10 pounds. My knee dr. has advised that I exercise my "new" knee. I hope very much these people know what they are talking about. I'll let you know in a few months how that turned out.

Knee Replacement Surgery

Well, it's been a trying time for me and my husband. After about three to five years of limping every time I walked, I made the big decision: Knee surgery.

I knew it would be tough, but endurance is not one of my better suites. It is difficult to have that nagging pain. Not too much pain to deal with, just enough to aggravate the tar out of someone.

Well, I shouldn't complain. My husband has the worst part of it as care-giver. He was always faithful to tend to my every need. He deserves a lot of stars in his crown for this one.

He was always cheerful and ready to serve whatever I needed.

We had this machine that exercised my knee automatically. It weight about 8 to 10 pounds. My leg would get tired being raised all the time, so I would ask him to take it down every so often. I just know it was trouble. But, I hurt.

So here is my tribute to Tommy Stuart:

Thank you for all the hard work you do. Learning to be a house-husband and nurse-maid to me. Cooking, washing dishes, laundry, giving medications, changing sheets on the bed and numerous other chores you never complained about doing.

Today you finally got to work in your garden (not the virtual one). I am so proud of you and hope you keep your sense of humor always.

TRIBUTE TO ANITA AND THE DOLLS SHE GAVE ME

Anita was my sister and eight years my senior. We all loved and adored her. She was the most giving person I think I ever met.

She worked down the street, in the 4500 Proctor Street. It was near the town of Lakeview which doesn't exist any more. The little restaurant doesn't exist either.

I could walk there from where we lived on Trinity Ave. She would serve me a glass of "coca-cola".

Then one day I couldn't go anymore. She said I was drinking her profits. I was so young I didn't realize she had to pay for the drinks. I was just playing "store".

Then she worked at Glass Drug Store downtown Port Arthur on 5th Street about the 6 or 700 block. They sold "story book" dolls and every occasion she would buy me a doll. They were about 5 or 6 inches tall. One was a "Canasta" doll that had playing cards all over her dress. One was "Little Bo-Peep" that had a staff in her hand and looked like a fairy princess in pink.

My favorite which I still have are "Peter Pan and Tinker Bell". They are dressed in green. He looks rather like Robin Hood with the hat with a feather in it. "Tinker Bell" looks like fairy with "wings". I still have "Peter Pan and Tinker Bell". They are put away somewhere. When I find them I shall put a picture of them on this site. I think I still have the other dolls also.

I entered one of my dolls in a contest for the CavOilCade festival, Port Arthur had a long time ago. She was a dressed with a white gown and red cape. She was supposed to be a "queen". She won 2nd or 3 rd place. I'm sorry I don't still have the ribbon. I kept it for a long time but time gets away from us. I don't remember if I still have the princess doll or not. I was only 10 or 11 years of age at the time.

I must get pictures and post them when I get a chance.

The Old .38 Pistol

When I was about 8 years old my sister, Anita, was 16 years of age. My older brother, Jerry, was 15 and my younger brother, Tommy was 11.

One summer day, while my mom and dad were working during the day, Jerry and Anita had some teen-age friends over to the house. They were all in the kitchen discussing what teens discuss. Tommy decided he wanted in on the conversation and whatever was going on. You know how younger can pester the older. Well, needless to say, Jerry and Anita wanted their privacy and told Tommy he better scoot out of the kitchen.

That didn't sit well with Tommy so he decides to go get dad's .38 pistol. Now you have to understand the pistol was almost as big as Tommy was.

He walks into the kitchen brandishing the pistol and teen-agers scatter far and wide. Out the windows and doors and behind the fridge, any place to protect themselves. Who knows what can happen when a little kid is slinging a .38 around and around.

My part in this was, I heard all the commotion and ran to the kitchen to see what was going on. Jerry said, "Lanell, get outta here, go somewhere else." Needless to say we were all scared out of out wits.

Jerry being the "man" of the house finally talked Tommy out of the pistol and all was safe again.

To my knowledge mom and dad, to this day, never found out about that incident. It is a wonder we didn't kill each other, being left on our own during a hot summer day of the '50's.