Challenges

Recently I have been trying to be more aware of what I eat and what I don't eat, I have been trying to consume more water and less sugary beverages, I have been trying to eat more veggies and fruit and eat less overly processed things and carbs. I am working on it. It is a slow slow slow process for me. I am overcoming years of eating whatever I want and not having it effect me. There were the years that I played women's basketball at the college level and it was almost like I couldn't consume enough during those years, we would practice a couple times a day and I never had to watch what I ate. I am learning that as I am no longer the athelete I once was, I need to adjust certain things and learn how to continue to train my body so that I am happy with it again. I have to watch my portion size as well, I no longer need to be consuming way more than my body needs.

Working at a church this can be quite the challenge. For example many Wednesdays we serve a meal before church (generally it is a hot dish of some sort or a pasta dish or something along that line) the food is marvelous, however there is no limit on portion size or a balance of fruit and veggies and I should not even begin to talk about the amazing desserts. At youth group last night they had huge rootbeer floats or purple cows (substitute the rootbeer in a rootbeer float for grape soda and you have a purple cow) and they looked delightful. Last night on my way home I held my head high as I left knowing I had brought my own dinner and successfully didn't consume a rootbeer float (despite the fact that I love ice cream, and do eat it in moderation, I knew that I wouldn't be able to limit myself to a small portion). I was happy and content.

As I arrived home I called my fiance (he lives down the block) and he was just coming home from the grocery store and so I walked down to his place to help him unload and put away his groceries. As I was unloading there was a certain piece of me that was jealosu as I know his metabolism is way faster than mine and can get away with eating differently than I can.

what I pulled out of one bag of his groceries

As I pulled these out of one bag of his groceries there was a certain piece of me that was jealous that I knew that I wouldn't be sitting down with a large pile of oreos and consuming them all with an oversized glass of milk. There was a piece of me that was a little jealous that I would get to eat these things. And then I thought about it for a while and realized that for me these cookies, donuts, muffins, are not what my body needs or requires any more. I make no promises that I won't ean an oreo at some point but I know I won't eat a pile of them. Slowly but surely these types of food no longer have the temptation that they use to. They don't have the same appeal they once did.

As I walked home last night. I once again held my head high knowing that slowly but surely I am winning the battle (or at least won yesterday) over what I eat. I make choices and stick to them. I do still eat ice cream and oreos and chocolate on occasion just in moderation and with a serving size at a time rather than four or five. Slowly but surely I am reclaiming my body and feeling healthier as I do it.

My friend Grace

 

Krumkake

      This afternoon I was baking krumkake for the youth bake sale at church tomorrow. I began to think a bit about my friend Grace, she no longer remembers me, her mind has been taken over by Alzheimer's Disease but today while making krumkake she was close to my mind and I gave thanks for Grace. As a young child I remember Grace bringing krumkake to every potluck, bake sale, and other event at the church. Grace's krumkake is famous amongst our small church as clearly being superior to all others.
      One day my mother asked Grace to teach her and I how to make the cookies. I remember her coming to our house and I was maybe a third grader and at that time I was close to being able to look Grace straight in the eyes, she is a petite lady. She brought with her all the supplies we would need including her krumkake iron, she had the kind that goes on the stove, it looked well loved and treasured, I could tell then that it had been used countless number of times (I now have an electric one - it hasn't quite made the thousands of batches that Grace's has). I remember her patience with me as I put far far too much dough on the iron and I all too often wanted to open the iron to check on the cookies. Grace had it down to a fine science, she put on just the right amount and knew exactly how long to let the cookies cook. I on the other hand have a variety of sizes due to my still inability to get it quite right and I still open the iron far too much due to my lack of patience. But I remember Grace patient with me and carefully showing me the art of krumkake an old Norwegian favorite. And today I give thanks for Grace and her willingness to pass on an old traditional cookie to another generation and for teaching me about patience and love.