Everyone I know...

... has some sort of aversion to their scale. Mine used to sit over in the corner of the bathroom, looking so ominous, just waiting for me to stand on it. Daring me ... and I overcame that fear. I bought a new scale & proudly stepped on it each week and watched the number go down & down.

2009 was not a year I would want to repeat as far as my stress level was concerned. I rarely stepped on the scale.. I knew I was gaining, but seriously, I didn't really care. My mind was so wrapped up in the things going on with momma & Lorna that I didn't take time for myself. So there the scale set... once again... staring at me from across the bathroom floor... just daring me to step on.

Almost two weeks ago, I decided - enough is enough. I put on my big girl britches and decided to "get off the pot" as momma would say. Time to pay the piper and step on those scales. I vowed I would find myself again... and I would succeed!! So step I did... Whew. Could that number be correct? Really? So I stepped off and stepped on again... Same number. Stepped off & on again... lower number. Stepped off & on again... higher number. Moved the scale to a different part of the bathroom floor... a really different number. Obviously... I needed a new scale.

Finally last night... knowing that this morning is my weigh in day & knowing that my old scale was not working right... I bought another scale. I sat it beside the other & just waited until this morning...

This morning I trudged into the bathroom and there sat not one scale mocking me... but two. I took a large breath & stepped on the old one. I figured I would see what it said & then measure it with the new one... The numbers were good... Great even. The old scale showed 2.5 lbs. off. So... with a large breath I stepped onto the new scale. Yikes. Could that be right?

Stepped off. Stepped back on... Yep. Same number. Stepped off. Stepped on. Same number.

A higher number. Ugh. What to do? Do I go by the old scale & be so proud of my accomplishments this week or do I go by the new scale & wait for next weeks weigh-in? Do I split the difference and call it good?

Ah.. truth. Momma always said to tell the truth. If you tell the truth... then you don't have to worry about it later. And so... with that... I will go with the new scale. I will continue on this journey. I will become a healthier Mom & healthier Gramma-K.

I will do it... with a new, thin, sleek scale on my bathroom floor... just waiting for a thinner, sleeker me to step on it!

Who knew?

When I woke up this morning, it was raining so hard you could barely hear anything else. It was thundering & lightening.... It was a real spring storm. My first thought after I realized it was a rain storm was "Where am I going to walk tonight?"

That thought surprised even me as I am not a person that likes to exercise... I REALLY don't like it. I know, you've probably heard people say that... but seriously, I don't. I walked during 2008 a LOT... And you know the saying that if you do something continuously for 4 weeks, it becomes a habit? Not with me. Nope. But today... wondering if the rain kept up, where I would walk was the first thing on my mind.

You see, my daughter-in-law, Sarah has decided to become my 'buddy' and help me with this struggle. Sarah gave me another challenge... To double my walking time from last week... and to walk 6 of the next 7 days. Whew. Now THAT is a challenge! I, of course, agreed to the challenge. How can I not? First of all... it's Sarah... and second.. it's a CHALLENGE. (Can you tell Sarah has my number?)

So.. knowing that today was day one in this challenge... I wondered where I would walk? I've enjoyed walking outside... seeing the neighbors, hearing the birds... but today... today it was windy, raining, cold & dreary. NOT conducive to walking.

I pondered this question during the day... and since I had an Alzheimer's Support Group meeting at 6 pm, I decided to visit mom's nursing home. It is HUGE & is built in a SQUARE so surely I can find connecting halls, get some good walking in AND stay dry?

When I arrived it was raining... I stopped by the nurses desk & asked if it was okay that I walk the halls since it was raining? Angel said it was fine - they all know me by now! I walked around the square & up & down the hallways for a grand total of 25 minutes!!

Who knew that momma's new home would double as my new walking place when the weather is horrid? Who knew? AND I got to visit with momma too: TWO birds... ONE stone!