Now that vacation is over, it's time to focus on my summer plans - fitting healthy foods into my life, finding new recipes, exercising in enjoyable ways (I'm working on this!), gardening, and writing. These aren't the only things I'll be doing this summer - these are just the me things. Mine, all mine.
I've gotten a good foothold on the exercise thing. Randy and my friend, Gail, are a great help! Randy walks with me most nights and Gail is meeting me for 7 a.m. walks a couple of days a week until her surgery next week. We'll pick it up again once her recovery is over because she's also working on adding healthiness into her daily life. Having partners who are willing to slow it down for you but keep you moving is the key to success for me, I think. There's accountability, compassion, and companionship when you have folks who really care around you. I'm enjoying the friendship aspects of exercise even if I'm not enjoying all of the exercise itself. That's a start.
The two things I'm focusing on this week are the recipe searches, which will lead to getting healthier foods into my diet, and the writing. Ahhh...writing. Writing is like the pressure valve for my brain. I can't not write or my head will explode - figuratively, of course. Stories, song lyrics, and silly scenarios are constantly bouncing around in my brain. I remind myself of Walter Mitty, but I think I have a happier outlook and firmer grasp on real life. I'm currently working on an ABC book that has a bit of rhyme and rhythm to it. It's uplifting and enjoyable and that's a plus for my mental well-being.
My daughter, Kelsey, gave me a book for my birthday written by a healthy lifestyle blogger. It's called Carrots 'n Cake: Healthy Living One Carrot and Cupcake at a Time by Tina Haupert. I provided the link to her blog if anyone is interested in taking a look. Her book is great! The focus is balance, of course, but it's the way she achieves it that surprised me! She has a date night each week with her husband and every Friday is Cookie Friday. She includes recipes after each chapter, so I have a new goal of trying them all. I made her Homemade Granola and Yogurt yesterday and it was yummy. I'm looking forward to trying her Easy Mediterranean Salad today and her Pumpkin Smoothie tomorrow. I'll take pics and post them along with the recipes. I'll be sure to let you know what I think of them and how I modified them to work for me.
Mental health is as important as physical health. I feel that I'm on the right path to achieve both. It's a great feeling.
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