An Exciting 24 Hours

Hello my friends, I have had a wonderful 24 hours......the weather has been beautiful, perhaps that has added to my happiness. I hope you all enjoyed your day as I have mine.

Yesterday was a special day for me full of mixed emotions. My good byes were sad but I also had much happiness and many surprises. It started with a phone call in the morning telling me I had won a free cleaning day (4 hours) from the company who clean my home for two hours every month. They had put all their customers names in a draw and pulled out my name. Now they were here last week but as part of rules they are coming in tomorrow to clean through for me. I am not complaining, I am so grateful. As I told you I had received blue topaz earrings from my wonderful patients, then when I checked my mail I received a $20. gift certificate in the mail from The Shopping Channel, for a survey I had filled out, again another draw. I always was told everything happenes in 3's but for me it was 4, as my friend Kathy gave me 2 beautiful blue agate bracelets for my birthday. I am not used to winning anything but have been blessed with many heart felt gifts over the years. I left my camera in the car but will go get it later and post a few pictures of my friend Kathy, my gifts and me who as of today have lost almost 5 lbs. only 10 more to go. So excited and even more pleased with my weight loss as I work towards my goal.

Today was another great day for me. Our weather has turned for the better and is suppose to stay sunny and warm for the weekend... yoo hoo!

My friend Terry called this morning and is coming into Morinville on Tuesday as she has to pick her daughter and grandchildren up at the airport on Wednesday. Her and I are going shopping and then out to dinner Tuesday evening. I always enjoy her company and I am so looking forward to seeing her. As I always do, I have started my list of places to go and things to shop for.

Today I was weighed and have lost 5 lbs. well really 4 and 3/4 lbs but I'm rounding it off of course. LOL Curves has been a blessing and for the first time I am enjoying exercising. It has not only been the exercising, I have been eating properly and my portions have been much smaller than I normally have. I do eat the foods I like only not as much. I left Curves and went to my doctor's appointment. He was really pleased with my weight as well as the improvement in the range I have with my left arm. He was amazed how quickly my arm has improved. I am sure it's the stretching machine I use at Curves as when I started, under my arm was very tight and felt like I was wearing a wet bathing suit, the past two days that feeling is going away. If I don't stretch the muscles in that arm they will continue to deteriorate and I will suffer atrophy. Now that I know what to do to prevent this I won't allow that to happen and will continue my stretching and exercising. Just the relief of it all is motivating.

At 5 o'clock I met with one of my special friends, Kathy. She is one of the RN's I teach our course with. In fact, she trained me so that I could teach it and out of 20 I am the only non medical person on the team. Originally I had taken the course as a patient and Kathy taught it, that is how we met. It was her who approached me about teaching the course and I will be forever thankful to her as I find this volunteer position very rewarding.

We also share the same birthday (she is much younger than I am) so for the past 3 years, a week after our birthdays, we meet and celebrate together over dinner. To spend a few hours with her you realize you are sharing time with one of earth's angels. She has so much empathy and compassion for her patients and their care givers. These people are so fortunate to have her as their primary care nurse as she works so hard to inform and aid them with everything they are dealing with, but more important she cares about each and every one of them. I love her for her commitment to her patients and her heart which is full of love not only for her patients but for her family, she has a wonderful husband and 4 beautiful daughters. Her first grandchild is due in September. She doesn't know it but we (her team) are planning a grandmother shower for her. She just beams when speaking of her grandbaby, her first.
We shared a craft of red wine (glad I had been weighed first) and then we each had the most delicious Greek salad. I so love olives, feta cheese, tomatoes, and onions served on a bed of lettuce. Kathy also had a warm bread which she dipped in a special sauce. It looked so good, but I no longer eat white bread so I just enjoyed watching her enjoy this tasty appetizer. We chatted for 3 hours over a beautiful meal and a glass of red wine. I limited myself to one glass, Kathy enjoyed 2. She said "Hey I am the beneficiary of your losing weight." She is happy I am taking control of my weight and knowing I am diabetic she passed on the cake and ice cream we normally have. She is one of these fortunate people who can basically eat anything and not gain weight, but she enjoys good health by working out every day and never indulges more than she should. We exchanged gifts (we have never done this before, and didn't know the other one's plan to do so) and chuckled as we had given each other almost identical gifts, stretch bracelets. Mine were 2 beautiful deep blue agate, and I gave her 2 made of jade. I was so pleased as they will go with the lovely earrings I received yesterday.

On a sadder note, I want to offer up prayers to the family who lost their family member, a security guard, at the Holocaust Memorial in Washington today. So sad, a young man in the prime of his life died doing his job, protecting some adults but mostly children who were in the museum at the time. My heart and prayers are with all of his family, friends and co-workers. In my opinion, what is even sadder was the man who killed him. This man is almost 90 years old and he killed because of his deep and evil beliefs. To think a man has lived all these years full of hate, anger and blame bothers me very much. He could of chosen a life of love, kindness and honor but he didn't. Unbelievable really, to carry a heart full of so much hatred for so many years based on lies, ignorance and hatred. For that young security guard to die while he still lives is just so unfair. I think only God is able to show mercy on this poor, pathetic soul, God forgive me tonight as right now I am unable to.

I am going to go to the car to get my camera so that I share with you pictures of my beautiful friend Kathy and my wonderful gifts, again I humbly feel so blessed, then I will be off to read my favorite blogs and comments. Good night everyone and God Bless....:-) Hugs

We are having a thunder storm, will post pictures when it's over OK