Confessions of a Grandma

I am not hungry.  In fact, it feels like I do nothing but chop vegetables and slice apples in the morning and spend the rest of the day noshing on them. That's not entirely true since I did do a two hour yoga class this morning and I went to a book discussion this afternoon.  And while I am not hungry at all, that doesn't mean I don't think about a cookie or a piece of chocolate. And then there is the "cleansing" action that is kicking in.  But that may be TMI.

So I made it through one day of the diet cleanse. A bowl of berries and melon and lemon water for breakfast A lettuce, kale, carrot, onion, beet salad for lunch A lettuce, spinach, asparagus, cucumber, and avocado salad for dinner Apple slices for a snack Herbal tea Lots of water My grocery bags emptied Supper salad So far I have learned that:  I must tend to bolt my food down because meals are taking much longer.  Salads of raw vegetables take a lot of chewing!   I am thankful for beets and avocados because they give me the feeling that I have actually eaten something substantial.  I think it is about the mouth feel.   Eating slowly and mindfully does work as far as making me feel full though. I don't miss my morning cup of coffee. I do miss my dessert glass of wine with a taste of chocolate to go with it. I can do this (because I am stubborn).

The housework can wait.  I am going to do some spring cleaning of my diet.  I think I would feel better -- like lower blood pressure -- if I lost about ten pounds. I think I eat a fairly health conscious diet.  I don't generally deprive myself, but I stay aware of salt and sugar and fried food.  My down fall is bread and pasta.  I suspect my stomach doesn't play well with dairy, but I may have convinced myself of that without real proof. Anyway, in spite of trying to eat right I have been suffering from GERD lately.  I blame it on Trump, of course.  Well, it did start on election day, 2016. I've tried willy nilly to eliminate things and see if that has any effect, but not wanting to find out I should eliminate cheese or gluten. That makes me quite sad.  I give in to the temptation to believe what I want to believe.  I think I have things under control and then I spend a night feeling as though I swallowed battery acid.  That is not...

Stop the silence to stop the violence. Our country supports a culture of venerating guns and gun ownership.  Our politicians support a culture of get re-elected at any cost. It's too soon to talk about once again.  Offer your thoughts and prayers.  BULLSH*T! I applaud the Florida students who want to march on Washington .  I support them in heart, mind, body and pocketbook.  And I will support them with my vote. Politicians, take note: You may think a student body protest doesn't matter.  After all, they cannot vote.  Well, you better wake up and realize that concerned parents and concerned grandparents and concerned people of conscience do vote. There is a way to stop this senseless shooting.  Get your heads out of your a$$e$ and do the right thing for the greater good of this country and its future . . . before that future is too bleak to contemplate.

It was great to have my friend visit this past week.  We always have a fun time together.  We like to walk (and talk) and bike ride.  We explore area restaurants, search for some sharks' teeth and shells at the beach.  We play cards and this time we watched some of the Olympics together.  We also each enjoy some quiet time relaxing and reading. We saw a man land this shark on the  beach and decided not to swim. We biked a lot Crossing the Intracoastal Waterway We shared some wine and a beer along with a wonderful selection of tapas. We visited Solomon's Castle, very kitchy! The beach at Boca Grande was pretty spectacular and we spent a very pleasant day there. I am so fortunate to have great friends!

Mt friend Diane is here for a visit this week.  We will be out and about having fun together.  I will not be spending too much time in Blogland.  Hope everyone is having a good week as well!

I did not listen to the State of the Union Address. I have a strong visceral reaction to the sound of certain voices and I choose to avoid that unpleasant reaction.  Then, too, I didn't expect anything so earth shatteringly new and different that I could read about it in the paper in the morning. I have seen the photos of jubilant mostly old white males and photos of stoney faced Democrats.  I've seen graphics of the fact checks.  And, not that I have looked that hard, but I really haven't seen anything about what was actually said. I guess I conclude that pretty much nothing was said.