It’s so much fun to read about my fellow bloggers. I’m really excited about Melissa’s pregnancy. It’s going to be a great trip to follow. I appreciate Suzanne’s profound spirituality. She truly lives her faith every single day. I love Erika’s antics. Reading her youthful exuberance makes me chuckle. On the other hand, Jim’s youthful extremism scares this middle-aged soul a bit. But, then again, I remember being that age and being just as dogged about certain things and ideas. I can’t comment on all the bloggers….it would start sounding a bit trite. But, I love them all and feel each one is a bit of a friend.

I had the most amazing meal I’ve had in ages at an Italian restaurant last night. I had eaten at this place before, but under a different owner. This new guy really knows how to put flavors together. My girlfriend and I met there for dinner before going to the theater. We split a calimari appetizer and the halibut special. There were definitely some avoids in the meal. There were kalamata olives in the halibut sauce. There was wheat in the pasta side dish. But the vegetables were cooked perfectly. There were a couple of squashes, carrot, broccoli and pepper. Each vegetable was cooked to it’s own al dente goodness. I could have eaten a whole plate of them. A couple of glasses of beneficial chianti rounded off the meal. The theater was good, too. It was a play about a quirky family during the WWII years. There were a couple of love themes, a political bent and other threads running through the story. It was absorbing enough, but a little long. It lasted three hours.

We don’t do much as a family on Easter. In fact, my husband seems to be totally oblivious to it. He couldn’t understand why the grocery store was so crowded when we stopped by this afternoon. I will be attending a three-hour yoga workshop specifically targeting shoulder therapy tomorrow afternoon. I’m really excited about it. There will be no chocolate bunnies or hard-boiled eggs, but I’m sure I’ll get a lot out of the class. Anything to get this problem licked!

Ah, the weather has been a bit more typical for the Northwest. It’s been raining, and today has been one long windstorm. There are branches littered all over the yard. One big one hit the side of the house earlier. I’m glad it didn’t hit a window. It was loud.

Fixed some scrambled eggs with feta and hot sauce for breakfast after my workout. I’ll be making a pot of green tea soon to enjoy while watching a movie I saved to Tivo some time ago. Hopefully I can watch it all the way through. But, if not, I can finish it any time. There also is a lot of golf recorded, too. And that’s what hubby and I tend to watch when we are together. It’s something we can both enjoy.

Dinner tonight will be marinated flank steak and salad. I think I heard hubby say he’s using chicken broth in the marinade. G-r-r-r. We must have run out of vegetable broth. I’ll have to be sure to get some more in the house. I really try to be compliant in all the meals I eat at home. There are so many avoids out there in the real world.

Yesterday the barbershop chorus had an all day singing workshop with an outside coach coming in to help with final preparations for our competition in April. It was grueling work, but very satisfying. Lunch was potluck and full of avoids. Luckily there were a lot of salads, so I was able to steer clear of most of the wheat. Except at the end when I ate two cookies. They were home made. I had to.

Sometimes you just have to.

I must have Spring fever. I feel lazy and unmotivated. I just want to sit in the sunshine and soak up the heat. The weather has been phenomenally unseasonable in its warmth and dryness. We have hardly had a bit of rain these past two months. The hardest part about all this good weather is staying away from the golf course. If I was properly healed and my shoulder was healthy, I would be out playing or at least practicing several times a week. But, I’m trying to be good and I’m doing my shoulder and hip exercises at home to keep strengthening and stretching the hurt parts. I am keeping up with the Pilates and yoga workouts. I’ve been a bit lazy about the aerobic machines. I really must force myself in there at least twice a week if I’m not going to be playing golf. (Go, Linda – Go!!)

I’m on a two-week plan to make sure I eat proportionally while following the BTD. I’m going back east to visit family in two weeks. I want to leave a little room for the avoids that I know will come my way and want to add a pound or two. I’m on day two. So far, so good. It’s the last two hours of the day that get me the worst. Maybe if I go to bed at 8:00 PM I can avoid the temptations……Uh-oh, that’s only 45 minutes away. I won’t make it. Guess I’ll just have to use will power and a cup of herbal tea.

Good luck in YOUR endeavors to Eat and Live Right!

I’m jealous of my fellow bloggers who get to go to the IfHI conference in April. It sounds like a blast. I’d really love to get to meet them in person. But, I’ve got too many trips planned this year already. I really can’t spend the money on this one. Besides, hubby probably couldn’t get behind it. It’s all still quackery to him. Maybe I can go some other year.

The shoulder is feeling better. I’ve been to the acupuncturist twice. I am sleeping well, and there is basically no more pain. In fact, it was really difficult for me to keep myself off the golf course this weekend. I really wanted to play in the worst way. (And believe me, I play in the worst way!) So, I dutifully did my recumbent bike and treadmill routine to get a little sweating done. I’m going to have to do some concentrated strength building around the rotator in order to get my shoulder into golfing shape.

There’s not much to report food-wise. I’m still doing my daily struggle with portion control. Sometimes I think I’m my own worst enemy. Except for the occasional taste of wheat, I’m avoiding the avoids pretty consistently. Portion control…. I think I’ve said that numerous times before this.

Spring has hit the Northwest. It was 62 today and supposed to be 65 tomorrow. The cherry trees and forsythia are all in full bloom. Not much rain here. But there is lots of pollen! A-choo!

Eat well. Be well.