Dear Reader,

Apparently, if you want to jumpstart your way beyond a weight loss plateau, the way to do it is have a stomach bug.   Ugh.   So, now I have lost another 3 pounds for a total of:

30 pounds lost!

Total Calories consumed today:  1601
Total Calories burned today:  200 (30 minutes on the treadmill)

Breakfast:

Lunch:

Dinner:

Admittedly, I ate out for both lunch and dinner, mainly because I was derailed from my usual Sunday grocery shopping trip by the plague that was visited on me which resulted in me eating nothing but 5 saltines and 16 oz. of ginger ale on Sunday.  But, I totally did not eat more than that one piece of pizza, so there's definitely some leftover pizza for lunch this week.   And, I have made a plan of attack for what I'm going to eat this week.   My approach here is to assume that someone really scary and aggressive has written this plan for me, and I'd better follow it or face the consequences.   (Yeah, sometimes my imagination gets away with me...).   And, I did go grocery shopping this evening.  So, I'm stocked.

Did you ever, dear reader, see the movie "The Hours"?   It was based on a book by Michael Cunningham which intertwined the stories of a 50's housewife with a modern day version of "Mrs. Dalloway" by Virgina Woolf and the actual life story of Virginia Woolf.  Brilliant book.  Brilliant movie.  Brilliant score by Philip Glass.  Anyway, there is a very memorable scene in that movie where the 50's housewife (played by Julianne Moore) lays down on a hotel bed and, in a moment of magical realism, water starts filling up the room and threatening to engulf her.    It's a symbol of the overwhelming nature of her depression and/or the way she is feeling about her responsibilities.  It is very vivid.   Well, not to be quite that dramatic about it, but I am really feeling overwhelmed by the amount of things that I need to do in the coming weeks.   And, this sickness over the weekend made me realize that I really have to take care of myself before I can do ANY. OF. THE. THINGS.

Just to recap, I have the following things going on:

1)  A recital in a month (OMG).
2)  A four course teaching load.
3)  Scholarship Day this weekend.
4)  A house that looks like it has been wrecked by a tornado (otherwise known as two five year olds).
5) A need to finish my taxes.  Seriously.
6)  A mother who is very soon going to move out of my hometown and will need assistance in sorting through a lifetime of belongings, family heirlooms, etc.
7) Two 5 year olds.
8)  Lots of meetings.
9)  A recital in a month (OMG).
10) Exercise.
11)  Eating Healthy.
12)  A church job.
13)  A private teaching studio.
14)  A seriously intense desire to NOT FREAK OUT ABOUT ALL. THE. THINGS.
15)  Department Chair duties.
16)  Two faculty searches in my area.
17)  Two 5 year olds.  (Oh, did I mention that before).
18)  A recital in a month (OMG).

Clearly, I've got lots of things going on.   But, really, when am I not going to have lots of things going on?   I need to focus on one step at a time, like I do in my piano practice.   Work on a few measures here, a few measures there.   One load of laundry here, one W-2 form there.   One weekend visit to my Mom's place, one set of Sunday services.   And, I need to find time to notice beautiful and funny and lovely things - because, as you know, dear reader,  I do love beautiful and funny and lovely things.   I must "kiss the joy as it flies" to quote an earlier post.   But, I don't want anyone to get the impression that this is easy.  Because it is not.   But, I'm going to practice my breathing.  And be glad that I have the gift of breath and health.   Because if there is one thing that being sick reminds me of, it's that I am so lucky to have good health and that I must do everything that I can to protect it (physical and mental and emotional), because that's where every other good thing can come from.

A colleague and friend lost his mother this week.  She died unexpectedly, although she had lived a long life.   We talked today about how your perception of your own life and the world that you live in can change in an instant when you lose someone that you love.   Life is hard, folks.  Hard.  And beautiful.   And, it's so easy to get lost in the lists of responsibilities like I enumerate above, but it all comes down to recognizing that those things are, of course, the stuff of life, but not any one of them is more important than our true and honest connection with our friends and family and, most importantly, ourselves.   So, even if I don't get my taxes turned in until April 15 and I miss a few notes on my recital or I don't grade something quick enough for my students, or I don't make my weight loss goal in the timeframe that I have in my mind - you guys - I am going to FORGIVE myself.   Again and Again.  And keep trying.  And be grateful for what I have.   Seriously.

Whew.  Sorry to get all serious on you.   I'm sure that I'll be lighthearted again by Thursday.  After all, the sunshine is reportedly returning to this corner of the world - at least for a little while.

So, I'll leave you with this lovely video that I posted on FB today:

http://www.theworkofthepeople.com/welcome-to-the-human-race?post_id=516114157_10152208774244158#_=_

So, welcome to the human race, dear reader.   And, have a great Tuesday!

Thanks for reading.