Softly as I Leave You

In Memoriam

Ted Kennedy

We have all read or heard the news about Senator Ted Kennedys death last night from brain cancer. It was a hard fight that he fought until the very end. He was a champion for the working man, for the disenfranchised, minorities and those in real need. He sponsored or co-sponsored many bills that have shaped this nation in the last 40 years. He is owed a huge debt of gratitude for doing the hard things. He reached across the aisle to get support for things that were not always popular but he never forgot his base and who he was working for...This earned him the tile "Lion of the Senate". He was respected. I wanted him to be my senator.

One thing that keeps coming back to me is the fact that he led his family for 40 years after the death of Bobby Kennedy.....He was never really "the one"in the Kennedy family. It was supposed to be older brother Joe, then Jack , then Bobby. Ted was the youngest and the playboy. He got into more trouble and broke the most rules. And he usually always got caught doing the bad stuff. He learned and he grew.

His older brothers were all dead along with a sister, Kathleen. So by 1970 he turned around and realized his family needed him to step up and he did.

My grandmother loved and respected Ted Kennedy. She cursed at him for some of the things he did in his life but she knew he did ALOT for the people of Massachusetts and for America.

Hard to believe that in less than a month two great Kennedys are gone ....

I voted for Barack Obama last year for many many reasons but last year when Ted Kennedy endorsed Obama I kinda knew then that I would be voting for and throwing my support towards Obama.

If I am being honest I will have to say that Sen Kennedys passing has been tough for me this morning ...just sad is how I feel.

I hope he has rest and comfort now ....

Rest In Peace, Senator .

Mack the Knife

So.....
I dont know if you know this but you need to be REALLY careful when cutting turnip roots. First of all after you have removed the outer layer they are really slippery. I was using a cutting board and a fairly sharp knife but those buggers move around alot...I am a confident person in the kitchen but when things move about like that I get nervous. Kinda like cutting up a whole chicken....that makes me nervous also.

I cooked a small roast tonight that called for fresh garlic, half sodium chicken broth and fresh thyme. It roasted for about an hour and half then you add a few quarted red potatoes, cut up turnip roots, onions and carrots. I forget the carrots....
With this recipe you got a HUGE serving of everything and being honest I did not even eat all of mine....I ate my salad first and drank water so I guess I filled up. But got some great leftovers for tomorrow.

Excercise-
I have a problem that I cant seem to overcome....Shin splints!! I stretch, I warm up but I still get them and after walking for a bit its almost unbearable. Any suggestions ?

Thats all I got tonight ...Peace

Don't stop believin'

So.....

This might sound crazy ...but in the very short week that I have been doing all this weight loss stuff I have already found myself feeling better.
Maybe its psychological.....Maybe I am just tricking myself into feeling better but I swear to you there is something just a tad bit different and I cant quite put my finger on it....
Maybe its the fact that I find myself wanting to cook more ....wanting to figure out the points in a meal and make it in my own kitchen. The satisfaction of sitting down to something good and healthy and hearty.
Maybe its the long term goals.....Seeing myself in a few weeks....months...years.
Maybe its knowing that with the loss aspect I will gain more confidence in other areas.
Maybe its the excitement of knowing that with the more I lose the closer I can possibly get to getting rid of high blood pressure medicines that I take on a daily basis.
Its gonna happen and that has me very excited.
Peace

Just You Wait ....

So......

Another great day of beautiful weather .....another great night of catching up with friends....
Another great episode of Mad Men ( no matter what LM says !!!)....

I heard this story over the weekend about a guy who was about my age, height, weight and he started the same program that I am working on to get into better shape...
In the past like 17-18 months he has lost 190lbs!!! He orginally joined because his doctors told him to lose weight BEFORE having gastric bypass surgery. He started and really enjoyed it and just stuck with it ...That is AMAZING and almost hard to believe. I asked the lady telling the story to repeat it twice just so I heard it right....
That is a whole complete person ...Gone. Just astounded me ...His story is enough to keep me going for weeks for sure. Glad to have had the chance to hear about and it has me wanting to meet this guy just to talk and see what advice he has to offer another guy on the same journey.

and a couple of things to remember about me ...

I will sing loudly in the shower if given the chance
I will laugh out loud while listening to A Prairie Home Companion
I am pretty level headed ( I think)
I don't like cats (sorry Sullivan)
I do enjoy live theater (or is it theatre) but don't go nearly enough
I would rather be with folks on a porch than at a bar any day of the week and twice on Saturday.

Thats about all I got for tonight ....Hope everyone had a great Sunday
Peace

Dont Know Why ....

So......

Today was an absolute beautiful, pre-fall day here in Central Alabama. Just to be outside for any amount of time should have made you happy. For me anyway ...

I am very pleased to let everyone know that I went for my first weigh in since starting the new stuff last weekend and the numbers dont lie...I lost 7 pounds !
I was pretty shocked actually....I kinda figured that I had done pretty good for the week but nothing compared me for that number. So that puts me at 374lbs. Headed in the right direction for sure. I cant put my finger on it but I just never thought I would do that in one week ...
I know guys lose quicker.....and that sometimes during that first week you can lose alot but still seven pounds is seven pounds. I am very happy and pleased with my first weeks progress.
Now its time to add in some other things that will help keep me going towards my ultimate goal.

Tonight was a fun night of catching up with old friends and meeting some new folks who were very nice and seemed like folks you could easily hang out with and have a good time. I am at my most comfortable with my friends. My friends just know me and get me in a way that others dont...
God Blesses us in so many ways ....

Its midnight and I still need to finalize some stuff for Sunday School in the morning ...
I appreciate yall reading so far ....Stay Tuned !!

Five Minutes More ....

So......
Today was a good day ! While I am glad that I no longer live in Macon county it was VERY nice to visit with folks and see family. Added to that was the fact that we were seeing folks in a normal settting...No funeral had us in Macon county this time it seems that the only time we see folks sometimes is at a funeral. Sad.
My 90 year old aunt fixed us lunch today and although it was just spaghetti... It was very tasty. There is just something about older folks cooking that makes things better...ya know ?
I had a small serving and some garlic bread ...so not a deal breaker.
We spent most of the day just visiting with folks and riding around the county looking at places from my Grannys past and when it was all over it left me wishing we had more time ...but there can be other trips....

I went to the grocery store tonight and found some Jiffs Natural Peanut Butter. I really like peanut butter. I also really like the natural peanut butter with the oil on top but most times its more expensive ...this Jiff was not that expensive. ALSO I compared the fat/fiber/calories on the back and it looked pretty good. I will let ya know how it tastes !
Hope yall had a great day and THANKS to everyone for their words of encouragment this week it has meant alot!!
More to come ....

Tomorrow ....

So.....

Not alot going on here today ...had a very productive day at work. Got a good bit done in my office and at the church in general.

I mentioned last night my dislike for turkey bacon ...well today at lunch I had a turkey burger and OH MY GOODNESS it was amazing....
It had bell peppers and mushrooms on it ....light mayo...mustard. The bun was a regular run of the mill bun but wow I am really impressed at how good the burger was .....
and speaking of cooking ...here is something else for you to try if you are game

Take a Penne Need a Penne Chicken Pasta (or whatever you want to call it)
One box of whole grain penne pasta or 13 OZs
One can of diced tomatoes-
1-1.5 cups of cooked chicken diced or shredded
1 cup low fat mozzarella cheese
One small jar mushrooms or you you can cup up about a cup of fresh ones
about a half cup of sliced olives.Black or green.
1/2 cup light italian dressing
1/3 cup chopped basil
Salt and Pepper to taste
Cook the pasta and drain....
Cook the chicken basil and tomatoes just till warmed good ...bout 5 minutes.
Toss all together and chill.
I think you could lower the pasta level and still have a great dish but its great for leftovers also...
A serving was a cup ...make a big salad and enjoy.

Is anyone watching Mad Men ?? Perhaps the best show on TV right now. Its got to be right up there with FNL as far as writing and character development goes. Just a brilliant show ...Check it out on AMC on Sunday nights
There will be fat year ...There will be lean years, but it is going to rain.-Don Draper

...And tomorrow I head home to Tuskegee/Notasulga to take my Granny to visit family and friends. One set of friends we used to play cards with and I am looking forward to seeing them...The husband fell about 20 years ago and broke his back and the lingering results of that have him basically homebound.
Wonderful folks that I cant wait to see...
Hope your day was great !!

My Favorite Things ....

So.....

Its Wednesday night and day 4 of my new "stuff".....and here are a few things I have discovered in the short time

• Turkey sausage is really good ....turkey bacon can take a long walk off a short pier.


• Sams sells HUGE chickens for roasting and of course its much much cheaper than buying a bird already cooked there...I cooked two and am eating the results as the days go by .


• I tend to get the munchies at night ....nothing bad but I want something ...any suggestions on how to overcome this ?


• Lots of water = lots of time in the bathroom...of course I knew this but MAN my bladder is wondering what the frig is up ...


• Doing any form of a sit up causes you to feel as though you have pulled every muscle in your chest.....


• Writing something every day is a lot more challenging than I thought it would be ...but I am dedicated to keeping myself motivated and you up to date


• Fiber One Yogurts and Fiber One bars are good but they also ...well...you know what they do


• I have rediscovered my love for apples. Gala are my apple of choice right now

So thats it ....also I am sitting here writing this while listening to Christmas music....that is no suprise to many of you but as I have said time and time again ...It relaxes me.

Put on A Happy Face.....

So......

Today was my first day on my new eating habit that I met a friend for lunch at Chappys ....I hate to day diet for some reason, Call me nuts.
I was a little worried about meeting for lunch since I am still very green with all this new stuff of counting points and watching portion size but I was very pleased with the HUGE salad I got ....I had unsweet tea with lemon and really enjoyed it all.
I worried for no reason I guess.....

I realized today that one year ago today I was in the Gulf Of Alaska doing a little fishing.....Such an amazing trip and made me also realize how much I enjoyed being up there .....Beautiful country for sure.

I mentioned on FB but I will say it here also ...I am SICK to death of all things political ...just tired of it ...to the point that I get antsy when politics comes up.
I used to have a rather full bodied debate with a guy at church but lately I just sit and let him go on ....I am tired of it all.
Thats all I got folks ...I am headed to watch some West Wing

The Hills Are Alive With the Sound of Music......

....Or the loud tailpipes of the reds down the street working on their jacked up trucks.....

So......
Went by PriMed this afternoon to have my BP taken and it read 140/83....Not too bad but not the best either...although I have had a pretty intense headache the last two days ...right behind my left eye...UGH.
Today was a good day at work ....Got alot finished up and off my desk .... had a HUGE salad for lunch....Romaine lettuce, shredded carrots, cucumbers, onions, turkey bacon, fat free croutons, and some low fat 1000 Isle dressing.....
I also fixed me a turkey sangwich on whole wheat/grain bread with tomatoes and Kraft Mayo made with Olive Oil. I did not even eat the sangwich....Salad kinda filled me up...
Got some great advice from Eleanor....THANKS!!

I am in the midst of re-watching season 6 of The West Wing and am really enjoying it ....I wish real politics could be like it is on this show.....
And speaking of all politics ...I think I am going to hang up my hat with regards to all things political...I will talk about the weather, sports, travel ANYTHING but politics.

Excercising went well....Actually did some sit ups tonight LOL ....not many but a few ...

Headed to read a bit about the Civil War then to watch some more WW.

Peace

Another Pleasant Valley Sunday ...

So.....
Day one went really good I think ....
They way the system works that I am using is that each and every food item you put into your mouth has a point value ....
A small to medium apple is 1 point.
A Banana is 2 points.
A Lean Cuisine Roasted Beef Tips with Carrots and gravy is 5 point.
I think you see how it works ...

Every person has a different number as to how many points they can have in a day. The more you weigh then typically the more points you get . I get like 44 points a day!!!
I get ALOT of points ....of course as you lose weight then you adjust the number down but to be honest today I had a hard time trying to eat enough to use all my points.
My main thing is going to be to make sure I keep a full stock of fruits and veggies to snack on ....and to continue the water intake.
I am pretty good about drinking a good bit of water anyway but I am starting OPERATION CAMEL tomorrow ....Besides OJ and Milk, the main other drink for me will be water.
I am excited to begin the work week with all its temptations of eating out with youth and friends. Also if you have ever worked in a church before then you know folks always want to FEED you in some way ....bring you a cake or cookies. Fix you a plate of something....
I welcome the challenge
See ya tomorrow

There is a Brotherhood of Man ..a benevolent brotherhood of man ...A noble tie that binds ...all you in hearts and minds

So.......

It begins here ....
We are all connected by our genuine concern for each other...
I think about Lane and Mary as they begin their new life in Atlanta....Luke and Jackie as they run towards parenthood and new business adventures....Nick and Laura as they watch beautiful girls grow ...

I have concerns about my health....I needed some type of accountability. I needed a support group, if you will. I needed folks in the same boat as myself... so I joined a local weight loss group today. I am hoping that this will be the first step towards a healthier me ....
I can honestly say that I am not embarassed about who I am ....I am just me. But I full well know that I can be in better shape. I can cut some things and add some things back that are much better for me. I already excercise some but can do more and that begins Monday morning ...the new eating plan and lifestyle begins tomorrow.

I promised myself that I would totally honest and transparent on this new blog and I fully intend to keep that promise. It wont be easy but its a promise I made to myself and my dear readers.
To those of you out there who read this blog I encourage you to ask me questions, engage me in conversation in some way, challenge me in some way in regards to this my "whole new thing"

So here we go....
Today at 9:15 am I weighed in for the first time of what will be many times.....

Here are my important stats as of today August 15, 2009

Height-6'2ish inches
Weight-381
Blood Pressure-142/79

As I said ...I am not ashamed of who I am but I am concerned and worried about my overall health....
Wish me luck ...

Something New....

So......
I have decided to take a new approach to my blog and the posts that I make ....Tomorrow will be the first post in this new direction but you can see the changes I have made already.
New Title.....New Layout....New Picture...
So this is just a primer for whats to come ....
My goal will be to post everyday about the ups and downs of something that is a big deal in my life..... A daily diary for me and you.
If I am being honest I have to say that I stole this idea after seeing Julia and Julie last week...Really good movie by the way. But she blogged about something big and it got me to thinking .....
This will be my attempt to keep all my friends in the loop of big changes that I hope will be coming ...
Suprises around every corner ....

Washington DC Trip Round Up and a Video .....

So........

After getting back from DC after an amazing family vacation I thought I would post a few pictures on here but instead you get this very nice video thanks to the wonderful Mr and Mrs Mielke. You see, heres the deal, I am kinda stupid when it comes to posting videos online. I am kinda stupid when it comes to videos period. Cant get them to load, cant get the sound to work, cant cant cant ....ugh ...Anyway !

Dont get me wrong ....I can make a video just fine ....I just cant watch them online that much ...

Enjoy the video .....

more about "Untitled on Vimeo", posted with vodpod

Is That Capitol with an O or A ??

Sam Adams....

So......

Yesterday was spent mainly at the US CAPITOL in downtown DC. We had a very nice tour given to us by a staffer from Congressman Brights office.

Most of what we saw was on the public tour but because we had a guide we were able to just walk through all lines what had formed. We got to see the house in session but were not able to see the Senate in session due to the confirmation hearings for Judge Sotomayor.

Perhaps one day the kids can look back and say that they were in the Capitol during these hearings.

A few things we learned .....

The Capitol is built mostly of concrete....

Parts of the inside are built from the timbers of an old pirate ship.....

There is a spot in the basement area called the "crypt" that was orginally meant for the remains of Gen. Washington......

Over 1 million people visit each year.....

Yeah ....some of those might not be totally true

After the tour we walked around to the Lib Of Congress and the Supreme Court. After that we headed to the Air and Space Museum .

Today we head to Gettysburg and perhaps Amish Country up in Lancaster county....

A Monument to Their Cause......

So .....

Yesterday we went and toured many of the mounments on the National Mall. As many of you know there is a monument to just about anything big that has happened in out nations history ...

There are monuments to former presidents and war leaders. Men and women who paved the way to help make our nation great.

President Franklin D. Roosevelt has an amazing memorial on the Tidal Basin but once again we were not able to make it to that one....Its ironic that he has such a grand monument but only wanted something small....

When asked about a monument or memorial in the mid 1940', FDR patted his desk in the Oval office and said he thought something no bigger than " this desk" would serve as a monument to him if someone decided to build one.

Known But To God......

So...........

Today was another full day and I am pretty sure everyone is getting tired of me saying that but it is what it is ...

Instead of talking too much about it I am just going to post some of the pictures from the day ...

Tomorrow we head to a tour of the monuments on the Mall and at least one of the Smithsonian museums ...most likely The Museum of American History.

An Afternoon with a Gentleman......

So.....

Its day two here in our nations capital and it was quite the busy one for sure. We started out with a very nice breakfast served at the hotel where we are staying ....I know what you might be thinking " OH MY GOD ....BREAKFAST AT THE HOTEL?????" I am telling you this though ...It was wonderful ....delicious sausage, fresh waffles, fruit, oatmeal, real eggs and good coffee.

We then headed into town for our tour of Fords Theater.

Before we went to the theater we had a chance to ride around and have a quick look at things before going back next week for a more indepth tour of things like the capitol, all the mounuments...etc.

After lunch we headed out to Mt Vernon for an afternoon tour and walk about the grounds....I gotta admit ....This was pretty dang cool.

I am a huge history buff.....and to stand there in General Washingtons bedroom...next to his bed that he died in ....Or to stand in his office and see the chair that he used the whole time he was president....It just left me thinking......

Thinking about what ?

Thinking about how he was asked to serve as commander of the armed forces going to battle aginst Great Britain.....and how he knew that if he said yes he was giving up his life at his beloved Mt Vernon and with his wife. He left and returned 8 years later .......

Thinking about how he planned the battle of Yorktown after his return to Mt Vernon.....knowing that the men and women of the colonies had won.....talk about catching a tiger by the tail !

Thinking about how he was once again asked to serve his country by becoming its first president....knowing that he would once yet leave his wonderful home on the Potomac.

Thinking about how he told his wife on December 13,1799 that he had a sore throat but would not let her send for help because he did not want her to worry too much ....

He died December 14,1799.

His home is very nice and warm but not grand ....to me anyway. It is a simple building filled with collections of art and furniture befitting a farmer from Virginia.

Today was nice .....

HOLIDAY ROAD ........

The American Family Truckster !!!!!!!!

So.........

We made it to DC....WHEW!! It is a long long drive but we had a blast on the way up ......We LAUGHED alot about different things ....Talked about those not with us anymore and how much they would have enjoyed this trip.

Tomorrow we head to Ford's Theater and Peterson House and then we are riding out to George and Martha's place ....Never been to Mt Vernon so am really looking forward to that one.....

Happy 4th (although, technically its still the 3rd) of July !!

"As mankind becomes more liberal, they will be more apt to allow that all those who conduct themselves as worthy members of the community are equally entitled to the protections of civil government . I hope ever to see America among the formost nations of Justice and liberality."

President George Washington.

So as has been my custom the past few years I like to post some fun facts about our great nation on or near the Fourth Of July!!

Hope there are not many repeats ...

Happy Independence Day everyone

1. Independence Day commemorates the formal adoption of the Declaration Of Independence on July 4, 1776. However, it was not declared a legal holiday until 1941.

2. Fireworks were made in China as early as the 11th century. The Chinese used their pyrotechnic mixtures for war rockets and explosives.

3. Uncle Sam was first popularized during the War of 1812, when the term appeared on supply containers. Believe it or not, the U. S. Congress didn't adopt him as a national symbol until 1961.

4. There are many precise rules for taking care of the American Flag. And speaking of flag traditions, we're sorry to report that contrary to legend, historical research has failed to confirm that Betsy Ross sewed the first flag.

5. Not all members of the first continental congress supported a formal Declaration of Independence, but those who did were passionate about it. One representative rode 80 miles by horseback to reach Philadelphia and break a tie in support of independence

6. The first two versions of the Liberty Bell were defective and had to be melted down and recast. The third version rang every Fourth of July from 1778 to 1835, when, according to tradition, it cracked as it was being tolled for the death of Chief Justice John Marshall.

7. The American national anthem, the " The Star Spangled Banner ," is set to the tune of an English drinking song ("To Anacreon in Heaven").

8. The iron framework of the Statue of Liberty was devised by French engineer Pierre Gustave Eiffel.

9. The patriotic poem "America the Beautiful" was published on July 4, 1895 by Wellesley College professor Katherine Lee Bates.

10. Father of the country and architect of independence George Washington held his first public office at the tender age of 17. He continued in public service until his death in 1799.

11. It was once asked if July the Fourth is celebrated in Great Britain. Of course not but for years they celebrated the day as "Good Riddence" day... so no...the fourth of July is just another day across the pond.