Health | BulgingButtons

November 14, 2013
by BulgingButtons 7 Comments

To Follow Stats or To Ignore Them?

In education there is a huge trend toward examining data. Test scores are valued so highly that we have meetings to discuss them virtually every week. At times it’s overwhelming, and frankly, something of the spirit of the child gets a bit lost in these discussions.

I won’t get all soap box on you, but my point is, the data isn’t the whole picture. That being said, it does have value. I just think a balanced approach is probably best.

The balanced approach is usually best, in my opinion. All or nothing rarely works out well, in my experience, especially when it comes to diet and exercise (this is where I get into trouble, but this isn’t THAT kind of post). Moderation is key. You know, balance?

That’s why I more or less ignore the debate amongst bloggers about statistics. Some live and breathe them, others say ignore them completely. I’m in the middle camp (is there a camp in the middle?). I enjoy taking a peek at them, and I get a not so secret thrill when I see lots of activity on the blog. But do I obsessively examine them for trends? Do I throw in random asides to generate more traffic? Do I cross post all over the internet? No. I do not. I don’t have the time or the desire to do those things. If you do, I have no problem with you, it’s just not my thing.

Still, I was thrilled to see this number. Two hundred. It stands for two hundred follows. I feel like I’ve been waiting for a while to see it. I set a goal, visualized it, and it happened. How cool is that? So even though I know some of those follows are from people trying to pad their own numbers, I’m okay with it, because I know there are loyal readers, and many of you slog through each post and take the time to offer feedback. That’s what I find so rewarding about blogging, and for that, I thank you.

November 11, 2013
by BulgingButtons 14 Comments

The Gradual Slide Into Decline

A longtime friend is in town for a conference. I have plans to see her today and I’m excited about that. I would like to bring her by my home to meet my sweetheart and my puppy. Except then I look around. Dammit. The dishes from last night (and pots, pans, knives, cutting board, wine glasses…etc.) did not somehow magically wash themselves. No worries, I will empty the dishwasher and load it up again and we’ll be good to go.

Except that we’re not. Good to go, that is. My lunchbox from Friday is on the counter. It’s Monday. I have three purses on the floor behind the couch, a week’s worth of mail is on the kitchen table, and that basket of clean laundry is still standing in my bedroom, unfolded. In all fairness, it’s only underwear. I fished out everything else and folded and put it away. I was in a hurry.

Still, if I did those small things, the house would still not be what I want it to be. The office, where I sit and write, and also sew from time to time, is far too cluttered, with no place for all of the things it currently houses. The little bookshelf in the dining room was only supposed to be there over the summer while I was changing classrooms, and my dining room table has held a computer monitor since March. With no computer attached, I might add.

Each of these things is small, but the cumulative effect is overwhelming chaos. At least in my eyes. I think that’s why I don’t deal with each of those small things. I feel like they won’t make a difference to the overall appearance and atmosphere of the home. You can see it coming, can’t you? The aha moment? Well, it hit me like a ton of bricks.

This is just like what I do to my body. A little slip here, a misstep there, I tell myself these are small things. No big deal. But over time look at what all of those small, easily reversible things have accumulated into. I can fix my house in a day. It may not be perfect but it will be a lot better, and the results will be instantly recognizable. Not so with my body. I can’t fix it in a day, or a week, or a month. What I can do, and must do, is stop treating it so haphazardly.

Like my home, when I maintain my body a certain way it is a joy. It is comfortable, functional, and just feels good. I need to keep that in mind. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a little more housekeeping to attend to.

November 8, 2013
by BulgingButtons 6 Comments

My Food Obsession – Why I Need a Kitchen Makeover

Here I go again. Thinking about food. Writing about food. Imagining all the delicious foods that I enjoy and wishing I had an elaborate banquet spread out in front of me. My imaginary feast is quite the opposite of the icky buffet I was subjected to the other night. I know my thoughts are wandering to food because I’m hungry, but really, I think about food often. I can’t help it. I eat. I enjoy eating. I think about eating. And when I think about eating, I think about what I might be eating.

We humans need fuel, like every other living thing. Unlike other living things, we fuel ourselves with an extraordinarily wide range of foods, many of them natural and wholesome and full of vitamins and minerals (I learned that from a cereal commercial). However, and this is a HUGE however, the vast majority of the food in my home isn’t of that variety. I would venture to say that’s true for many people. At least people who shop in grocery stores.

Oh sure, there are a few pitiful fruits and vegetables under my roof, but they’re the exception rather than the rule. Quick inventory: one rather dull looking apple, three overripe bananas, a tiny watermelon, two small pumpkins, a jar of pink grapefruit slices, and a bag of frozen green beans. I’m not proud.

The pumpkins are earmarked for pie, so they don’t count. The only thing those bananas are good for at this point is banana bread, so they’re off the list too. As for the watermelon, it’s for my son. I despise watermelon. I know, I know… everyone loves watermelon. I do not. I must be defective.

At least I don’t have a fridge packed full of processed frozen foods. It’s only about a quarter full. Of frozen, processed foods. There are potato pancakes from when? Last Hanukkah? And some breakfast sausage sandwiches (no, we don’t keep Kosher, thank you very much for inquiring). There are also some frozen sticks of butter and some chicken legs and an ice pack or two, but we don’t eat those, in case you weren’t sure.

The fridge holds salad dressing, ketchup, wine, and mayo. Oh, and eggs and cheese and yogurt and those grapefruit slices. There is a whole second fridge in the garage that my sweetheart says is for “venison and beer” but really it’s full of soda and water. Although sometimes beer does show up there.

The pantry is the last frontier. It has cereal and oatmeal, spaghetti sauce and canned soup, pasta and chili beans, and ravioi and ramen. It also has Maker’s Mark and baking supplies and the last of the orange filled Oreos. Writing food, I call it. Actually I just made that up. Like it?

It is apparent to me that this situation is not ideal. As a result, I want a kitchen makeover. Not just the flooring and the countertops and the sink and faucet and cabinets (although I would dearly LOVE any one of those things). No, the kind I want involves some trained expert who comes in, clears out the crap, and lays in supplies for a long and healthy life. Yummy ones, I might add. While they’re at it, they could teach me (and the sweetheart) some new recipes, and leave behind a personal chef (who will also do the shopping and cleaning up afterward). Sound good? If you know of anyone, please leave me their card.