I was calmly sleeping on Mom’s lap.  Don’t tell anyone but I think she was sleeping, too.  Shakespeare was off in the other room napping on his blankie.  Suddenly there was a knock at the door and it scared Mom and me.  Mom got up and found these beautiful flowers on the step.  Of course I had to check them out.

Aren’t they pretty?  I asked Mom why she got flowers from her good friend and she asked if it would be ok for her to share in our blog.  She said there is a rather long story about why these flowers are so special and why they arrived at the perfect time.  Go ahead Mom……

I just wanted to stop in and say hi to all of Hemingway and Shakespeare’s readers.  They are incredible boys in my life. 

Those flowers that arrived today helped me so much.  Back last September I got tired of not feeling super good and I decided I would start walking every day to see if I could change my life a little.  It would have been easier if I still had my dog because then she would insist on a walk every day.  Hemingway and Shakespeare just don’t get the idea of going out for a walk.

Because of my stubbornness, I kept at the walking and now after a little over seven months, I can say that I have walked every day and not missed one.  Bear in mind that this was during winter in Minnesota so I often wondered if my head was on straight.  I could go to the mall to walk.  I could go to the gym.  I could skip the walk if it was snowing or too cold.  My answer to all those excuses was, NO WAY!!!

Since starting on my walking routine, I have lost about 70 pounds.  I have been able to get off my ulcer medication and my blood pressure medication.   My most recent lab results showed my total cholesterol at 139 so my doctor told me I could start taking only half a pill a day for cholesterol.  I’m hoping to eventually get off that medication as well.

Along with the walking I changed my eating habits.  I pretty much cut out sugar and since I have a mouth full of sweet teeth, that was a major challenge.  Now I may have some chocolate on a special occasion, but I’ve found that I really don’t need much.  I’ve increased the consumption of vegetables and fruits.  I’ve cut way down on meat, bread and cheese.  Who knew I would get excited about making a vegetable soup that is filled with every vegetable imaginable!

This whole journey has been done on my own, by myself.  I suppose I could have faster results if I joined a club or followed some routine or took pills.  I don’t want to do that.  I changed because it was time and because I wanted to do it for me.  I didn’t set goals because there’s no stopping with this.  It’s a new lifestyle and hopefully it’s one that I will live with the rest of my life.

I’ll confess that sometimes while watching “The Biggest Loser” I would get frustrated because I wasn’t losing 20 pounds a week.  Well, I don’t have time to work out ten hours a day.  I live in the real world and I have a job.  Besides, do all those contestants really keep the weight off once they get back to reality?

So, back to the flowers.  I was anxious to get my latest lab results and when my doctor sent them, she said that I was doing a fantastic job.  Then the other shoe fell.  There is a little bit of a medical hiccup that I have to deal with quickly.  It scared me and depressed me.  I called my girlfriend and talked it out with her last night.  Then she sent me the flowers today.  I had already calmed down and was thinking more logically (amazing what a night of sleep can do for the brain).

This morning I ran into another friend and he told me that because I was doing such a good job, he was inspired to start walking to get his health back.  That really touched me.

People are noticing a change in me now and it’s not just because of the baggy clothes.  I seem to have taken control of things in my life and I’m ready to be me for a change.  Even my doctor said that she would like to have me speak to some of her other patients about being determined and sticking to things.  Believe me, that hasn’t always been me!

There are even people in choir who are calling me skinny now and that just cracks me up.  I could never consider myself skinny but it’s so nice that they say that.  The numbers and the shape of the body mean nothing.  I’ve finally learned that.  It’s the inside part of you that wants to get out and show the world what can be done.

I started this journey by myself but along the way I seem to have picked up friends who like to encourage me.  How awesome is that? God knew I needed this and He stayed with me through all the adjustments.  He got me into conversations with others at the right time.

If you’re thinking about making some changes in your life, do it when it feels right to you.  Don’t let others tell you when you should.  Also, I hate the commercials that say, “If only I had done this ten years ago…”  Don’t fall into that trap.  Rejoice in whatever accomplishments you make and know that you are doing them at the right time for you.

Now, if I can get Hemingway away from the flowers I’m going to go enjoy them.  Thanks for reading.