The Sweet Smell of...Dirt?

For as long as I can remember I have enjoyed the smell of freshly dug earth. The cool feel on my hands and feet is pure relaxation and the musty damp odor clears my mind. Weird...I know.

On a warm spring or summer day, heck, on any day I try to find a reason to dig even the smallest of holes. Sometimes I replant flowers in pots, sometimes I switch shrub locations just to get my hands into the cool damp earth.

I find a certain tranquility in hearing the crunch of ground breaking under the pressue of a shovel piercing the weathered top layer of soil. And I loose track of time listening to the swoosh, swoosh of the shovel blade carving out the looser soft layers beneath.

Digging is "me" time; time I listen to the world around me--NO phones, NO emails, NO fax, just me, the warm sun and all of nature. I know most people would rather have "me" time at a spa but I can say I'm just not one of those people.

Why, you may ask, am I sharing so many thoughts about dirt and digging? Because Craig and I have purchased plants to landscape the pool and backyard. I am looking forward to a few afternoons of "me" time . So with a little luck and a whole lot of sweat we should have a tropical backyard by this weekend.

Start Counting and Get Moving in 2009

This year rather than a New Year resolution that I will not adhere to I decided to give myself a motto or new way of daily living.

Over the past 7 years of living in Houston I have done something that is uncharacteristic of me. I have become very sedentary which is not good at my age or stage in life. I could give several excuses for my behavior such as....

1. No sidewalks or walking trails in our neighborhood
2. Quit going to the gym because all the high school kids sit on the machines and talk on their cell phones
3. No bike paths in our neighborhood...bike had a flat anyway. :)

I could go on with excuses but the fact is I have gotten lazy! With that laziness I have put on quite a few unwanted pounds which seems to make me lazier.

So at the start of this year I decided to make a change for the better.

The website www.everydayhealth.com is a great help to me in being true to myself. I am accountable only to myself for my calorie intake and my activity output.

So far it is not a burden because it is not some crazy kind of diet plus no meetings or "public" weigh ins. I am eating the same as before but it is making me aware of what and how much I am putting in my mouth. I seem to have quit eating out of boredom just because I know I will have to track it and I want to be truthful to myself.

I am actually enjoying tracking where my calories come from and feel very guilty if I don't track some kind of activity for the day.

I also read a quick cardio tid-bit for tv addicts and couch potatoes that I am going to try on the days I can't or just don't want to go biking or walking. While watching tv, do jumping jacks during the commercial breaks. Jumping jacks are a great quick cardio and if you think about it for every hour show there is at least 15-20 minutes of commercial breaks. The family will think I'm crazy but just maybe they will join in.

My motto for the year is Start Counting and Get Moving in 2009. Wish me success!