Thursday, January 27, 2011

Living Through January

This is a photo of the "green drink" that is part of my attempt to ditch the ten (10) pounds (!) I gained in December.  My friend, who is a personal trainer, sent me a list of suggestions, and this drink was on it.  The drink is blended spinach, kale, parsley, cucumber, lemon, apple, and blueberries.  It actually doesn't taste bad, it just looks disgusting.  

There is a topic I want to write about here, but it would take some time and emotional energy and I haven't  had either.  Perhaps this weekend?  

January and February are traditionally difficult months for me, and this year is no different.  

Did I tell you that my best friend at work retired last week?  She is a dear friend and her presence at the hospital is missed by all, but by me maybe most of all, because she is my friend.  We will still be friends, but it will be different.  We will meet on Saturdays for an early morning movie ($4), or on Sundays for mass, as we have been doing for year.  

And bless her heart, she got to retire on her 50th birthday.  Because, unlike me, she started her one and only career in her early 20s, and just stuck with the same job all that time.  She got promotions all along until she made a nice salary.  She bought a condo when she was in her 20s, it is now paid off.  Unlike me, she did not decide to move into a grander residence, with a grander mortgage.  She did every smart thing that I have failed to do.  

It is not good for me to compare myself to others.  As they say, if I compare my insides to your outsides, I will always come up short.  

OK, gotta go run now and hope it lifts my mood.

God bless you all.  Thanks for reading.  

6 comments:

  1. Mary Christine, you are in my prayers. And yes, the drink looks positively vile. But then again, I am not feeling well.
    I definitely know how the comparison thing always goes. I can tend to fall into that, too. For me, it is because I don't always feel comfortable with myself. I have done SO many things in my life that I cringe about. Somehow, God has made it all a part of the larger journey (lest I sound a bit granola here); and all those foibles became important steps. Father Groschel has a book out, an older one, called "Stumbling Blocks and Stepping Stones." Really good, in my opinion.
    Hang in there! We, your blog buddies, are rooting and praying for you!

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  2. Yes, count me in the number of people with a laundry list of things I wish I hadn't done. I hate to call them regrets because in some measure, they've contributed to making me a more faithful person. Not all of my baggage is sinful. Some of it is just plain stupid. Well, we all have each other, don't we?
    Peace
    Joyce

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  3. There is a diet called the 90/10 diet that is published. You eat 90% really healthy things and get a 10% treat. You select what you want to eat, nothing to purchase. I lost 40 lbs on this in just a few months. You get to choose the calorie range and really if you think about it you will lose weight if calories in are less than calories out- just don't make them all chocolate cake!

    You need to plan a weekend somewhere warm and green but don't worry, it won't be long until those little sprouts start popping up through the ground.

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  4. That is one awefull looking drink. For me, I don't look forward to retirement. It would be nice and more relaxing, but I need things to motivate me, things to challenge me. I was home for a good deal of December because of holidays and expiring vacation time and the days all blurred into each other. Work provides a rhythm to life. Now what I would really like is to only have to work three days a week. Wouldn't that be wonderful.

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  5. Manny, I agree, in my heart of hearts, I really don't want to retire. But I am dismayed at the foolish decisions I have made that will force me to work until I am 70.

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  6. Powerless. Embrace it and smile!!!
    You could always emigrate? With your running skills and my enthusiastic annoying optimism in the mornings, we'd never be out of milk!
    Two are stronger than one Mary C, even if it's just a morning phone call. Pray for it, exercise faith and wait.............expectantly.
    All this comment advice, I bet it makes you scream sometimes?
    C'est la vie.
    Love ya, keep fighting the good fight. I'm attempting to.
    Ros xx

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