I am finally healing from my crud. It got pretty ugly - I lost my voice completely at one point, and basically didn't want to eat much of anything for 10 days.

I did lose nine pounds during all of this, but I don't recommend it as a weight-loss method. Ugh. Copious amounts of crud coming up, constant coughing (and choking on the crud) and generally not feeling too well. Even now, the coughing spells wipe me out completely, but at least I am feeling fine now.

We stayed home New Year's Eve. I was not up to celebrating with a bunch of folks anyway, and it was raining and yucky out, so we stayed home, opened a mini bottle of champagne (that was not very good champagne anyway) and watched the ball drop in NYC (three hours after the fact). It was a quiet evening, but lovely.

I did manage to see several movies over the last few weeks in spite of the crud: "The Family Stone", "Rumor Has It", "Chronicles of Narnia", and "Memoirs of a Geisha". My net review of all of them is that if you like the genre of movie it is, you will enjoy it.

Now I'm deep in the throes of my final exam for my graduate program. It's going well so far, but it is time consuming. I hadn't planned to wait until the week it is due to start it, but I just wasn't up for it over the holidays.... It will all work out fine, though.

I'll post more after I'm done procrastinating finishing my exam!

I had no idea it had been a MONTH since I last blogged!

It's been a busy month here getting prepared for the double whammy of Christmas and Hannukah in our house. We got a Christmas tree last weekend, and didn't have time to decorate it until Wednesday night!

On the 21st my grandmother turned 93 years old. As you might recall, the doctors gave her 2 to 10 days to live in late May. So much for their prognosis! I called her on her birthday and my dad had already been there and there were two more visitors there. I suspect she had visitors most of the day. We had a lovely, but brief, chat.

Wednesday was a whirlwind of a day for me - I was running errands, wrapping presents, and busy, busy, busy! We had my sister-in-law over to help us decorate the tree, and we had fun listening to Christmas music and decorating it.

Thursday morning I woke up with a sore throat, and decided to run ONE quick errand before heading back to bed. I ran my errand, came home, and stayed home trying to kick whatever crud had come my way. Didn't work. Yesterday my throat was very sore, and I was in the full throes of a cold. Blech. Just what I need right now. I stayed in bed all day yesterday, only getting up to get some chicken and rice soup and get on the computer for a few minutes.

By last night, I'd completely lost my voice. Couldn't make a sound. Felt like crap, had a fever, chills, the works. I actually took Nyquil before I went to bed (which I never do!). Even with the Nyquil I woke up about once an hour, but was able to go right back to sleep, fortunately.

Today I feel a bit better. My fever broke, and the chills and muscle aches are gone (knock wood!). I'm feeling slightly more functional so far today - I wrapped several presents and have been up and around since I woke up.

Even so, I doubt that I will be going to the family Christmas Eve event tonight at Gordon's aunt and uncle's. I don't want to get everyone sick. Same thing for Christmas brunch tomorrow. I already sent Gordon to the store to get the ingredients for Waldorf Salad for tonight and for the (spelt!) cinnamon buns for tomorrow's brunch. I will NOT be preparing food for the masses with this cold!

Happy holidays!

Shortly we'll be off to my mother-in-law's house for Thanksgiving dinner. Should be great fun - 15 people, all friends and family, and Gordon and I know everyone. The family is already 10 people, and some friends of ours who we asked to join us for the holiday.

My MIL does most of the work, but gives out assignments to people to bring something. I'm bringing garlic mashed sweet potatoes, which I volunteered for since it guarantees me something I can eat aside from the turkey. I think there will be plenty for everyone to eat today - my MIL is very aware of everyone's food issues (both my sisters-in-law have dietary restrictions, too), and she called here yesterday asking what nuts I do and don't eat. (Pecans in the stuffing, yay!) And I know there is flourless chocolate cake, too....

It will be a wonderful evening and Gordon and I are both looking forward to it.

Hope your Thanksgiving is wonderful, too.

It's 2:30 am, and I am still wired from going to class today, so I thought I'd check in here.

My apologies for not having been more attentive to my blogging here. I have been dealing with so many changes in my life that it has been a challenge to handle things without the added responsibility of blogging here, too.

I'd like to say that will change soon, but I don't feel like I can commit to that yet! Suffice it to say that I would LIKE to blog more frequently - I feel it helps me stay more accountable for following the BTD, and it is also wonderful to be part of a group of like-minded people.

As for what's going on in my life, I've just come out of another incredible, life-changing weekend at school, and I am still processing some of the realizations that I've had. At school they often say that this is 'school the way you always wished it would be', and it truly is.

One of my realizations this weekend is that I am very aware of my body and what goes on in it, but that I often ignore whatever it is. I don't deal with the issue, or I deal with it partially and ignore what I've been told I can do to resolve it. As an example of the former, I walked on a broken leg for over three months before I went to a doctor. As an example of the latter, I know what I'm supposed to do to heal my digestive issues, and I haven't followed through on it. I neglect my body's physical needs!

As a result of this realization, I've made a committment to nurture myself by eating to nourish my body for the long-term. Another committment I made is to get a minimum of 30 minutes of exercise twice a week. These are huge for me. In the past, I often viewed these things as "I shoulds" or "I have tos", and the shift is that these are acts of loving kindness toward myself.

So why is is so easy to be attentive and nurturing towards others, and so neglectful towards ourselves?

I'm helping Anne move tomorrow, so that counts as exercise. One down, one to go for this week!



Cassandra

I've started school and am jobhunting, and the BTD has fallen by the wayside a little bit. Okay, a lot. We went out for brunch on Sunday and when my food arrived, Gordon commented that the only thing on my plate that was BTD acceptable for me was the eggs. Oops. Yet in my mind I had justified the bacon, cheese, and avocado as being 'okay this time'. Well, occasionally that is okay, but I can generally find something on the menu that is much higher compliance than THAT! Oh, and it came with a side of potatoes, too. Also, in the last couple of weeks I've managed to get myself hooked on caffeine again*, and last night I tossed and turned until about 4 this morning. I did manage to get out of bed by about 9:30 this morning, but today is going to be a hard day.

And I seem to have done something to my back - yesterday it popped all the way up and down my back in a weird way and I've had a headache ever since. Fortunately, we go back to the chiropractor later today, so I don't have to live with this much longer.

I'm reining it all in again over the next few days - lamb and artichokes for me! (And spinach, and buffalo, etc.)

School is AWESOME, by the way. Amazing program. Here's the link to the Spiritual Psychology program I'm taking: http://gousm.edu/

It's already a lot of work, but I am enjoying every minute of it!

*Blasted Starbucks iced venti soy chai lattes.....