Peace

I've been reflecting on peace and serenity this month. Somehow turning 40 caused a cosmic shift in my thinking. It didn't help that within a few weeks of turning 40, a certain change decided to arrive in my life. Thankfully I've gotten to the point I can make a humorous comment when someone says "Aren't you too young to be experiencing hot flashes?"

Now that I'm 41, I've been reflecting on another change of life. Back in 1963 a book was published by a bored, university educated, suburban housewife. Thanks to her university education, she did have the smarts to know how to spin statistics, research data and anecdotal information to support a specific viewpoint. Unfortunately that book also robbed many women of pleasure in tasks that seemed natural and second nature to them.

January 1st, 2008 I woke up feeling unhappy, despite having a $1100 diamond necklace around my neck as a 40th birthday present. That unhappiness progressed through most of the rest of the year. That's why there is a huge gap in my blogging. I'm not going into great detail. Suffice it to say remember when the doctor hands you a prescription; unless you get to the root cause of the problem, popping pills aren't going to do you much good.

This leads me to January 1st, 2009. I woke up feeling excited about the upcoming year. I made up my mind that this was going to be a year of action and accomplishment. I remember how Mother Teresa became a household name by taking pleasure in doing many little things to add up to one big thing.

Right now a woman is feeling peace and serenity because her report has been accepted by the board. She looks forward to picking her children up from daycare, dropping them off at home for some daddy time while she goes on a power walk. When she returns, she'll spend some time playing with her son and daughter while dinner is made by her husband. Right now I'm feeling peace and serenity because my dish rack is full of clean dishes. I've already done my power walk, after I dropped my son off at school. I'll pick him up and spend some time playing with him. While I make dinner, he'll have some daddy time.

The first woman isn't a theory or an amalgamation. She's a real woman, in both senses of the word and treats me as a real woman. Both of us will be getting together with a group of other women at the church. We're not hung up on who is doing what according to The Feminine Mystique. All we'll be caring about tonight is not dropping a stitch while we do our needlework. That's real peace, knowing after a hard day's work, you’ll be able to relax with a group of women who have a common interest.

Proverbs 21:2 Every way of a person is right in their own eyes: but the LORD ponders the hearts.

Before anyone posts a scathing comment that “Daddy Time” is a new concept brought about by the very book I’ve never been impressed with, talk to someone who is 80-90 years old or read some of the old journals that have been published. The last ten years people have become more willing to talk or publish anecdotes about “Pa coming in from the fields to whittle and tell us stories while Ma made dinner” or “Father was tired from a long day of running the trap lines but not too tired to play Cat’s Cradle with us.” That’s definitely “Quality Time With The Children” or “Keep The Damn Kids Amused To Give Me A Lousy Fifteen Minutes To Myself”, depending on your viewpoint.

Weather Weight

With at least three more months of winter, there is no way prairie redneck women want to look like one of those airbrushed, digitally enhanced models or celebrities on the cover of some magazine that says "How to Lose 25 Pounds AND Keep It Off!" Better to spend our money on Canada Junior Hockey team apparel than on an article written by someone who doesn't even know what "wind chill" factor means.

It's not that we don't care about our appearance; it's just that we are realists. One extra inch of fat on our hips, thighs and waist isn't a cause for alarm. Its Mother Nature's way of saying go out, enjoy the winter, I'm a prairie redneck woman hear me roar back at the wind that puts the temperature to -35. That's -31 Fahrenheit.

Sure some of us are hopping on the scale and dropping an F-bomb or heaving a big sigh over the December indulgences. We're struggling a bit to do up the waistband but the December inch tends to disappear by the end of January, since there are no longer the cookie exchanges, the Christmas lunches, the potluck suppers, Christmas Dinner, Boxing Day Luncheon, the New Year's Eve party where the call of the Wild Pretzel couldn't be ignored and of course the snacking during the World Junior Games. The winter inch, though, isn't something to be ashamed of. It's a fact of life.

Another fact of life is since even the better quality magazines are usually from America, it's easier to think in terms of pounds and inches. The work or school schedule is back to normal. It's time to resume your exercise program. Now that it's January, it's okay to say to Herb in sales "I'll take a pass on the Tim Horton's donuts, thanks for thinking of me." Also, yes their Candy Cane coffee or hot chocolate is a great Christmas treat but Christmas is done, have one last cup when the tree is down and resume your normal drinking habit. It's also time to quit buying or making eggnog and resume your regular dairy habits. When Mabel down the block arrives on your doorstep with fresh cinnamon buns, it's okay to limit yourself to one, and put the rest where they aren't accessible. To be fair to the magazine industry, if the woman on front doesn't look digitally enhanced and the article is offering to help you lose 10 pounds, the odds are in your favour it's a realistic weight loss plan and worth spending money on or borrowing from the library.

Here are some tips. Grapefruit tastes great sprinkled with nutmeg. Toast can be topped with cinnamon and a few teaspoons of butter, without brown sugar. It is possible to have chilli or soup without bread on the side. Plain low fat yogurt mixed with fruit helps you gear down from the ice cream habit you developed over Christmas holiday. If you don't like cold carrot sticks, let them sit in hot water for a minute or two and drink the water so you don't waste the vitamins. Plus the water will help fill you up. This recipe is for when a monster I call Salt Kong comes roaring in and the salty junk food seems appealing.

Dilled Cucumber Slices

at least 2 cups/450 ml of thick cut cucumber slices
1 cup/250 ml apple cider vinegar
1 garlic clove, minced
2 teaspoons/10 ml fresh dill
dash tumeric
large glass jar with lid and seal (I use a standard Mason jar)

Put cucumber slices in jar, top with remaining ingredients, seal tightly, shake to ensure the liquid gets in between the cucumber slices and let get acquainted in the fridge for 3-6 hours.

Every time you eat those instead of a chips, pretzels or fries, put the money saved in some sort of container. That's it for this week on how to ditch that December Inch without losing your Winter Inch. Next Monday will be about Eating Lifestyles.

Proverbs 4:7 Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all your getting, get understanding.