Mind-Body Challenge 2010! Update and Others

First off - I lost 1 pound this week.  I know this 'should' be going faster, especially when I have so much to lose, but I'm struggling with doing what feels good and what just sounds good.  French fries sound good, but a tossed salad or baked cauliflower feel good.  I just don't think at this point, I'm able to pit cauliflower against french fries.  I'm just too addicted.  So sorry.  But I'm reading a great book by Mariel Hemingway which I will share very soon.  Finally I found a book that looks at more than just diet or exercise, but looks at life values and gentle shifts to come to a place of peace.  It's not a new book - I think it was published in the '90's.  I found it for $3 in a used book store (that I will also share with you soon).

On the home front, my sons attended a 'pink' dance at their school to raise awareness and some funds for breast cancer research.  I believe they raised in total over $800.  No to shabby for a bunch of young whipper snappers!  Here are the boys ready to go boogie:

I am happy to say the stomach flu has left the building.  However, a head cold has once again landed in my elder son's body, making this the 4th week of illness in our home.  I have been wondering if my dishes are getting clean enough with the new dishwasher detergent... if the dishes still have germs, then we will keep getting sick... right?  So I have decided to do the un-green thing and turn on the extra hot water for the next few cycles to see if there is a difference.  I really don't want to go back to using the toxic gel.  I wish we could open the windows to air the place out, but it is too ----- cold.  I think down around 10 degrees (F) is a bit too chilly to welcome the winter air in to do what?- invite pneumonia?  No thanks, we'll wait until spring.  Until then, we'll keep the homeopathy handy, and more chicken soup!

And about the lunch detention... well, it apparently went like this:

My son's version:

My son received detention early in the day.  He ended up going to lunch, having forgotten that he had detention.  Once he remembered, he arrived about 10 minutes late to the library for his detention, to see 3 other kids there as well.  No teacher.  He sat down and waited.  While he waited, one of the kids left.  

The teacher's version:

The teacher gave the detention to my son on a day she had lunch duty.  On those days, her associate takes the detention.  The associate was in the room at the start of lunch, and gave the 3 kids the instruction to eat their lunches, going so far as to check to make sure they all had their lunches.  Then she left to get her own lunch.  When she returned, all 3 kids were done eating (she assumed because they were no longer eating) and she had them help put chairs at the tables and then told them that detention was over.  

Ok, so we see a merging of experiences here - the teacher clearly did not know my child to notice that he came late, nor did she recognize that the 3 students in her room were not necessarily the 3 whom she left in the beginning of the period.  My son, having remembered the rule that there is no eating in the library, had tossed his (very good and nutritious) lunch in the trash prior to arriving at the library, not knowing the rules had changed.  Oh yes-  they have changed the rules so you can now eat in the library.  I can now let go of my anger - and you can too.  judging from the comments I received, this hit a sore spot with everyone!  

Lisa (left) and me

And last, an update on my wonderful sister, Lisa.  She is recovering from her recent thyroid surgery, glad to have that removed.  She is now getting ready for a new course of chemo and scans to keep a close eye on additional hot spots picked up by her latest PET scan.  I am planning a trip to visit her in California as soon as I can.  Never before has 2500 miles felt so very far away.  Again, I am acquainted with the sense that I am powerless and afraid.  All I need is some meditation to bring me 'round to that place of peace and understanding that I found during her previous battles.  If you have some extra positive energy lying around, perhaps you could send it her way one of these days.  I betcha she'll feel it!