Happy Canada Day

July 1st doesn't have the hype that July 4th has to our south, but we still have some pretty darn good community events. Hope everyone gets to get out and enjoy some of them. Suppers, parades, dances, music, and much more.

The weather remains dull and dismal so hopefully events will be able to go ahead.

Remember that staying healthy is very important, avoid the poison ivy and oak and eat until you are full not stuffed. Walk or swim off that dessert and keep the stress under control. We forget that community and family events are supposed to be fun and stress over the small stuff to the point of making a relaxing outing into an ordeal.

Enjoy and relax!

Trial and Error

I have been experimenting with my diet to see if there are some foods that help/hinder my arthritis. I have eliminated citris fruit and alcohol and I am not sure if this change is having any effect. Maybe too early to tell yet.

Great Meeting

I just returned from the first meeting of the South Shore KOPS Honour Society. What enthusiasm and excitement in that room. A wonderful group of women who have achieved their weight loss goal and are now enjoying a healthier lifestyle. There were only two KOPS societies in Nova Scotia and now there are three. Congratulations to the women who agreed to take an executive role. If anyone is interested in finding more information about TOPS please visit http://www.tops.org

The next KOPS society meeting will be on September 12, 2009. Stay tuned for more details.

Miscellaneous Thoughts

I went to my TOPS meeting on Wednesday and recorded a weight loss...of 1/2 lb. Not a lot but better than a gain. Frank and I went bowling this afternoon. I know bowling isn't a summer thing but there isn't a lot of physical stuff I can do with the arthritis as bad as it is, so bowling it is. Not that I am very good, but it takes just as much energy to throw a gutter ball as it does to throw a strike. We had fun.

Tomorrow is the first meeting of the KOPS society that we are setting up for KOPS (Keep Off Pounds Sensibly) on the South Shore. I am helping them get set up even though I haven't reached my KOPS status...yet! http://www.tops.org/ if anyone is interested in finding a chapter handy you.

Great to see the sun the last couple of days, but the humidity is making the air muggy.

Starting to look forward to our anniversary mini trip. Just a couple of nights in Portland, ME but we haven't been there in a while so it should be interesting. That isn't for a couple of weeks yet.

Looking forward to the weekend. I have a writing deadline that I want to get a jump on and since I have lost weight, I will need to go through my summer clothes and see what fits and what is gloriously too big!

Make yourself a great day!

The Power of the Medical Profession

Isn't amazing what masses of jelly we turn into while we wait for the results of tests, especially medical tests. My husband had some follow up blood work done recently and until he got the results the questions were always there, in my mind, disrupting my focus. Would these tests be clear or would the problem reoccur? A case of worrying into the future. I couldn't do anything about the results either way but that didn't stop the control freak me from thinking through all the possible senerios.

And the tests came back showing all is well. And the follow-up doctor's appointment yesterday was a good one...no problems, no reason to think there will be problems. Next appointment a year from now. A few months worryfree until...

I know that no one has that kind of power unless I give it to them, the logical thinking part of me knows that...the emotional, feeling part of me is another matter.

All is well, and today I am smiling. Life looks good and the summer is just starting.

Hope everyone out there has a great one!

Being a Boomer

There are some interesting statistics about the boomers and the impact they have had and will have on the rest of society. We are the first generation that used credit everyday and were comfortable owing more than we would make in a year (or several years). We are a very material generation, bigger homes, faster cars, more clothes, flashier jewellry. We are also the generation that will change what retirement looks like. The golden handshake at 55, 60 or 65 is not what many will want. Consequently it is projected that the segment that will grow the fastest in our economy of the next few years will be businesses started by retired boomers. (CIBC completed a study and found that seniorpreneurs will be be a sector that will continue to increase in numbers and in influence).

Often the businesses are completely different from the careers that the boomers have enjoyed throughout their working life. The artistic and creative side is finally allowed to be seen and heard.

Not only are boomers starting new businesses they are looking for services and products that may not be readily available. I spoke to one business owner, a tattoo artist, who told me the largest number of his customers were men between the ages of 60 and 65. The corporate leaders who didn't feel comfortable with a tattoo in the boardroom but who are certainly changing that when they retire.

Retirement has taken on a whole new meaning. Retirement is being alive, travelling, donating time to charities, fundraising, teaching in a foreign country, working part-time, socializing and building a lifestyle that centres around likes and passions and family and friends.

Healthy Thoughts

Slowly but surely my selftalk is becoming healthier and consequently my habits are also becoming healthier. I am exercising more...actually enjoying the way my body feels during and after physical exercise. My joints feel better, less painful, after gentle movement. I have arthritis in both hips and in both knees. Many days it is extremely painful and on those days I often don't exerices. But on the other days, I bowl or go to the gym for 30 minutes of gentle exercise. I am finding that I have reduced the amount of mindless eating that I used to do. Now I concentrate on each bite of food that I eat, savouring the smell, the appearance and the taste. I chew my food more slowly and enjoy the experience. Small things, small changes, lasting results.

A Rainy Sunday

A rainy Sunday in rural Nova Scotia. My husband and I moved into our "fixer-upper" four years ago. In the spring and summer the area is lush and green, in the fall the colours explode through the stands of hardwood and in the winter the area is quiet, white and sometimes a little isolated. We love it here.

My interests include business writing and consulting. I have a part-time job as the Executive Director of a Chamber of Commerce. I am also very interested in improving my health and my husband's health through improved diet and lifestyle. Following a sensible weight control plan I have lost 35 pounds in the past 7 months. I still have several more pounds to lose. This blog will focus on the success and slips in both the writing and health issues.