Happy | BulgingButtons

August 23, 2017
by BulgingButtons 2 Comments

Going Down

Not that kind of going down, sheesh!

Nope, this is the kind of going down that’s the result of making some positive behavior changes, and oh yeah, taking a little bit of medicine too.

You see, I got some unhappy news back in June when I went to the doctor, so I had to make some changes. More veggies, lean protein, and most important of all, a lot fewer sweets have passed my lips since that day. I’ve also upped my exercise game. Well, I move a lot more, anyway.

A couple of weeks ago I had my physical, and today was the day I went in to review the results with my health care provider (he’s a PA, and I’m a big fan of his). Well, the results were good. Really, really good. We did a happy dance in the office, and my visit ended with a hug (seriously, he was as thrilled as I was). I’m not sure I’ve ever felt that happy leaving the doctor’s office.

Weight is down.

Cholesterol is down.

Blood sugar is down.

Risk factor for a cardiac “event” is down.

I’ve never felt so up about being down.

So yes, I can do this, and yes, it’s worth it. I feel better, I look better, and I have more energy. I’m also doing myself a big favor by making these choices. Some days it’s easier than others, and yes, I still mess up, but overall I’m doing pretty well. I hope you are too.

The things that have helped the most are:

doling out my medicine into one of those pill sorter thingies… I used to think they were for doddering old fools, until I needed one
jogging in my pool… this is still the only exercise that I truly enjoy and I plan to keep doing it as long as the water stays warm
mostly switching from Starbucks frappucinos to the coffee at work (with some delicious flavored creamer, but hey, it’s still way better than a frappucino).
cooking at home more…this way I have control over the ingredients
weekly fitbit challenges with my friend… he regularly kills me, but it does keep me moving

What keeps you on the right track? I’d love to know.

December 11, 2016
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My Heart is Full (and so is my Belly)

Today I had the pleasure of spending time with my sweetheart and my boy. We talked, we laughed, we enjoyed each other’s company. Later on, the boy and I spent time with my mom. We talked, we laughed, we enjoyed each other’s company.

I love these people. I love being with them and making and sharing memories with them. They make me feel whole.

I think I’m ready to start trying to take better care of myself again. I think.

When my heart feels full I don’t usually try to feed my belly as much. We’ll see. The timing, of course, couldn’t be worse, but hey, that’s how I roll.

I hope your hearts are full too, and that your bellies aren’t getting overly filled. Funny how the brain knows that food can never replace human contact and connection, yet we sometimes use it that way anyway. Human nature is a funny thing.

November 29, 2016
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Runaway Roxy

I had the great pleasure of meeting an adorable older gal named Roxy recently. Roxy is a lovely steel grey miniature poodle with a sprinkling of white fur around her mouth, giving her a distinguished look.

The divine Miss Roxy came from our next door neighbors’ yard while we were all out festooning our properties with Christmas lights. I knew she wasn’t their dog, but they had company so I though she belonged to one of their guests. Well, Roxy kept on moving through our yard sniffing this and that and generally ignoring everyone.

A Roxy look-alike

By the time we determined that she didn’t belong to any of us, she was on her way to the next yard. She wasn’t rushing, exactly, but she wasn’t holding still either. We grabbed some of Lila’s treats and tried to coax her, but she was having none of that.

I didn’t want to run up to her, because I was afraid she would bolt, and then she might end up in the street and who knows what could become of her. She had a collar and tag, so we knew she was someone’s pet. At last I caught up to her and was able to scoop her up.

Lucky for me, she was friendly, but I was taking a chance. I was a little leery about getting to her tag, a dog bite is nothing to trifle with, but she allowed me to check it out so I called the number on her tag. No answer. I called the second number, also no answer.

We put her on the leash, where she walked like she owned the block. I figured the best thing to do was start walking back in the direction from where she came. Maybe she would lead me to her home. It was only at that point that I wondered what I would do with her if we didn’t find her home. Gulp.

It turned out that I didn’t need to worry. As soon as we got to the next block, the folks working on the lights on the corner house greeted her with enthusiasm. Between all the in and out while working on the house, they had lost track of little Roxy, and Roxy decided to take herself on an adventure.

I’m glad Roxy’s story had a happy ending. It all goes to prove that my sweetheart is right, given the chance, most dogs will head for the hills, even if they don’t know where the hills are.