Pirate Goddess Empowerment

It's PIRATES Weekend Coming up at the Sterling Faire!

And you know what that means!
YAARR!
Wild Pirates and Sassy Buxom Pirate Wenches!

Well, I be "Merlyn, Captain O' The Lusty Avenger"

and I be hither t' tell ye to stand t' attention mates and take note!

There shall be NO lolly gaggin' aboot!

I am sick t' DEATH o' pansy arsed, lily fingered, mealy mouthed, forked tongued, work shirkin' stallin', double dealin, mewling, excuse makin' and self important devilish scallywags.

If'n ye be up t' sailin' wi' me ye HAS t' have a strong stomach, I say...

AYE...

and HEART.

If'n ye HAS one.....

(TBD) 


Ye has t' BE what ye say ye are, or ye shall be called out fer a much deserved lashin'.


Only stout hearted, loyal, fun, dependable men and women
(notice I dinna say "ladies" :)...........
need apply.


Know ye...that Harry has INDEED proven his'self t' be a top notch Mate,


but we here aboard the Lusty Avenger..... need lots o' sailors aboard!!

We'll be singing MANY o' shanty and piratical ballad and lusty ditty this weekend thither!!


Ye also has t' CHASE ME in The Lusty Avenger cuz I'm tired o' chasin yer hairy white arses.


I may or may not give ye pause.


I may not e'en deign that ye be worth club haulin' fer.

In the past, if'n I've wanted a man, I've gone out and got him, by jaysus.

Nothin' wrong in that I tell thee.

Have had a few fun romps in the bargain....I regret it not.

Well.... mostly not....

But I'm not in the mood anymore fer courtin'.

I be in the mood fer floggins.


AYE!

We'll be havin' FIVE shows a day all around the Shire!
Oh and I want to highly recommend to ALL women out there,
the book that's got me sooo fired up this day.

By Greg Behrendt and Liz Tuccillo called: 

"He's Just Not That Into You: The No-Excuses Truth to Understanding Guys" 

In SOOTH....

No matter if'n ye be Single, Married, Divorced, Trolling, Sworn off men....

HOW many o' us o' the beauteous female sort hast said the following:

"I just don't understand Men!!!"

(Followed usually by some sort O' Piratical sound like this: "Arghrhggrgh!! )

AYE. 

Right feckers they be sometimes. 

(my disclaimer hither is "SOME men are not ALL men") 

(aye.....ee'en Harry has 'is moments........but he knows it.... and when they happen.....

I do tell 'im often. Just ask 'im  :) 

He can also be a dear, and I do love him right well....

He be a keeper.

I started reading this book t' day whence I picked it up in port and I couldn't put it down, but had to in order t' set sail in time~

It's an amazing insight into that odd bunch......

MEN.

There ARE good men out there....it's up t' us t' weed 'em out from the shite.

 I also received an inspirational GIFT today....

e'en as my blood boiled like a hot spring in anticipation o' the weekend~

It were a DRUM!!

A Beauteous GODDESS DRUM~

 From a Goddess..... 

TO a Goddess.

(That be ME :)

And so it is that I may indeed bang a drum and march t' the beat o' me own drummer this day and many more.

It may ee'en beat a right nice time fer a floggin'. 

Fair Winds and Take NO QUARTER!

 



Weight Loss w/ friends w/ Modified Atkins~

Hey ho my loverlies!

Just wanted to drop you a line to let you know of the wonderful progress being had with our little group going thru the Metabolic Syndrome weight loss project. It's like a "modified Atkins" diet.

No starchy or sweet carbs are allowed for 10-14 days to jump start your metabolism.

which means~
No bread, pasta, rice, grains, cereal, potatoes, fruit, sugars, cakes, candy, pie, ice cream....
No high fructose corn syrup.

What you DO concentrate on eating is Protein (meat/fish/dairy/nuts/eggs) and lots of veggies.

Aside from the lack of fruit, it's much like a Caveman's diet.


I have dropped 3 pounds since Saturday!
My friend Stephanie dropped 4 in the same time frame!
Another office mate has dropped 8 pounds in 7 days!

and hey!

My blood pressure is perfect!
I have lots of energy....
I don't feel hungry.

As a matter of fact, with giving your intestinal track food that processes well together, it processes so much more efficiently, that I find I'm not as hungry at certain times and can actually go longer without having to eat.

The plan is to regulate the sugar and insulin in your blood stream and get more balanced and back on an even keel.

My pH test strips that you test for being acidic or alkaline (you want to be more in the middle or on the alkaline side, because alkaline means "with oxygen" to digest)...at first my test strips didn't even REGISTER on the low end of the acidic side. Within 3 days my strips were starting to register and I saw an improvement 
already.

It's really not hard to do.

then after the "Induction" phase, you start adding back in carbs slowly....

Just saying..........you might want to try it to "Kick Start" your metabolism too :)

will keep you informed!

The Weight Loss, Metabolism,Diabetes & Sugar Jigsaw Puzzle

Just took a credit free course at the college with my 2 office mates on "Weight Loss & Metabolic Syndrome".
How very interesting and scientific!

The is the study of Insulin, Glucose, Insulin Resistance and pH balance in the body.

Our bodies are a complicated machine.
We feed it all sorts of shite.
Good stuff as well as bad.

And Gods bless it but STILL the body keeps pumping along....regardless.

Oh, it may not be functioning to it's maximum efficiency....
but we keep one foot in front of the other, don't we?

But for a machine to really function well, it should be in balance. (Ask any mechanic!)

This is the theory about metabolism.
It's about balancing pH levels and blood sugar.

High blood pressure, cholesterol, hyperthyrodism, hypoglycemia, arthritis, and diabetes are all very common ailments these days. This study and formula addresses all these issues.

My father was a Type 1 Diabetic. He died from it. It is an awful fucking disease which will chew you up. Literally. I saw it happen, as did my whole family. He fought with it and his health his whole life. Shots every day and sometimes two....or Insulin reaction and shock. The loss of toes, the way the body DOESN'T heal itself, but decides to shut down on itself, incrementally. It's a horrid way to go.

Evidently, Diabetes has been treated with Insulin (as well it should be) but it can also be treated and sometimes eliminated, by diet!)

I don't want to be "pre-diabetic". I want to drop these extra pounds goddamit.
Even though I've been doing great with my health regimen- post "Bodice Challenge" :)
and even tho' I am exercising every day, the weight isn't coming off like it used to.
It's the curse of aging, hormones, diet and .... metabolism.

So, I am undertaking a 10 day "Metabolism Jump Start" with my friends Debbi and Stephanie at work and we are all going on this program together.

Basically, for 10 days you eliminate from your diet the following foods:

Pasta, Rice, Bread, Potatoes, Cereal, Fruit and ALL sugars (cookies, pies, cakes) from your system.

I told Harry The Pragmatist about it and he was interested because he doesn't like being on high blood pressure meds. So his question was, NOT "What am I supposed to eliminate?"

BUT......more to the point:

"What CAN I eat?"

Well, you live on meats, fish, dairy, (read: protein) and LOTS of veggies, teas and water for the 10 days to bring the inflammation in your cells back to a normal level. Once the inflammation of your cells gets under control, your cells are able to go back to absorbing the nutrients in your system that it now has to reject because there is a blockage of inflammation there preventing it. That's why there is so much cholesterol floating in people's bloodstream. It can't be absorbed by the cells! So when you get your blood work done and the doctor says you have high cholesterol, it's because of this!

But here's the good news!

IT CAN BE REVERSED WITHOUT MEDICATIONS!

Isn't this fucking amazing???

Then once you have gotten your system adjusted, and blood sugar normalized, you can then add back in slowly, some of these other foods back into your diet. If you wish.

So I'm trying this!

For 10 days and see what happens.

It's only 10 days.

Hey, I've already proven with the "Bodice Challenge" that I can give up bread. (did that for 5 weeks and I didn't die...)

How'ere, I will tell you that fruit will be a real tragic loss for those days tho.
As will the goodies in Anita Figgins Baked Goodie Basket at faire.....

Today is Day 4 for me, having already had success over the last few days and even did this program while at FAIRE!

This plan is much like the Atkins Diet (which got LOTS of flack and great results over the years) and is also much similiar to the "Fit For Life" program by the Diamonds back in the 80's (which I liked a lot and helped me over the years....but this current plan has you eating dairy and meat, while the Fit For Life plan was more vegetarian in nature.)

Don't get me wrong. I LOVE eating meat. I have canine teeth to prove it. I love RARE steak....as they say in Texas, "Just knock the horns off it and drag it across the grill".

My only issue about meat, is the current business of raising, production and the harvesting of animals for the table. It is not humane. It is NOT how it used to be on our farm, where we cared for the animals, and they experienced good food, a social life and room to move around and a quick death.
No, current meat production and harvesting is CRUEL and inhumane.

So, I try to buy the best meat I can, bless the animal's offering and eat it.
I will look for local and organic meat suppliers if I can to solve my dilemma.

This plan also has the requirement that you test your urine (or saliva) every morning to find out your pH....
to see whether your system is in balance, acidic or alkaline.

I am currently in the mind set that "Balance" is good.

I am a Gemini and always in desperate need of BALANCE.

Thinking back at my past.....
at all the wild woman rages, mood swings, crying jags and otherwise temper tantrums, depression episodes or manic phases that I've gone through, I can now see DIRECTLY to the link with them to food, the lack of it, and the drop in my sugar levels.

This is like an EPIPHANY for me.

It all makes so much sense to me now.  The things I've gone through, and subsequently put others through, have been a product of blood sugar levels!
(Of course sometimes the kids WERE naughty, and sometimes the world WAS unfair, and sometimes my men WERE assholes, but my reactions to them probably could've been dealt with better if my sugar wasn't whacked, I'm thinking....)

My pH balance at the start of this was sooooo totally acidic in nature that it didn't even REGISTER on the pH scale. Today, after 3 days, I am starting to see a change for the better on the pH test strips. I'm still "acidic" but at least it's registering on the low end of the scale. I also don't feel so out of control or angry. I'm more at peace with my life and going with the flow of what is a bit better.

So.....

It's just that simple?

Testing for and accommodating daily BALANCE in my life through eating more protein, less sugars/carbs and monitoring my reactions through a pH test strip in the morning.

And....

To be totally honest.......

It's really NOT the reason I thought I'd ever get pissed tested

:)

Romance Weekend Approacheth!!!

This weekend will be "Romance Weekend" at the Sterling Renaissance Festival" .

Harry & I, as Merry Mischief, have been the "Wedding Minstrels" for many years there, bringing music to both wedding ceremonies and also minstreling hundreds of married couples to the Chapel for the Ceremony of Renewals. It has been a pleasure and an honor to do this.

So on this occasion of Romance and Courtship.....

Today's tale is a story of TRUE LOVE :)

We have a couple of friends, Anita & Rick Figgins, whom we met about 4 or 5 years ago when we performed music for their wedding ceremony at the Sterling Renaissance Faire..

It was one of the sweetest and most loving services that Harry and I have ever participated in.

What makes their love story unique is this:

You see, Rick is profoundly deaf.


Their ceremony was beautiful as there was a lot of "signing" in it as well as the regular love and hugs and kisses and sweet words....

I am familiar with some of ASL (American Sign Language). My daughter Shawna couldn't speak much during her formative years, and so, we adopted the trend of "Total Communication" (using sign combined with speech) and gave her a way of communicating with us.
Later on, as her speech developed, we dropped the signing. Oh, she still "approximates" and you have to know "Shawna-ease" but the signing really helped a lot.

And so it was that I was familiar with some of what was said at Rick and Anita's wedding.
It was beautiful beyond compare. Both the Bride & the Groom cried.....as did I.
It was a small ceremony but the feelings couldn't be bigger.

Throughout the years, Anita and Rick have become very dear friends of ours. Rick is a hard worker and will roadie for Merry Mischief with a fun attitude, a strong back and an industrious heart. Anita gives with her heart and soul and bakes like crazy and fills our bellies and taste buds with delights from her wondrous large wicker basket of goodies that she brings to faire! It is filled with pecan tarts, berry bars, No Bake cookies and many other amazing things! She loves her horses and animals.
They are GIVERS.

They give of their Time, their Talents, and their Attitudes.

Even tho' Anita has had problems with her back surgeries, she comes faithfully with her sweet daughter, Mikaela and sometimes their doggy, "Tater" and Anita has sat through our shows,
happily listening, tho' all the while in pain. She is doing better now. She is a trooper.

And "Tater" is so cute in his Kilt, don't you think? Here he is with me at Olcott- Niagara Heritage Celtic Festival.... He dressed for the occasion :)
Over time, Rick has gotten hearing aids to help with his hearing. His hearing range is very limited to say the least.

You would really not know to talk to him, that he can't hear you, as he is an AMAZING reader of lips!
He is phenomenal!!

And do you know what else?


Rick LOVES MUSIC.

I know....you would think that someone without hearing wouldn't be able to appreciate the joys of music, but then again....

Ludwig van Beethoven was deaf.

Beethoven's hearing began to deteriorate later in life, but he went on to write and compose music even when he was totally deaf!

Rick has asked me in the past, to send him lyrics to some of his favorite songs. "Wild Mountain Thyme" and "The Black Fox". I did so, happily.

One day at the ren faire, I was playing "Wild Mountain Thyme" and I saw Rick signing along to it in the back row. Well, I stopped the song and motioned for him to join me. Evidently, Rick wants to be a singer! :)
He "signed" along "singing" to our music. It was lovely.
There were many teary eyes watching him "Sing" (sign :) to this beautiful love song.
I had to look at him directly, and not to the audience, as he was reading my lips for the words and cadence of the song. It was hard for me to not tear up during this first experience to this addition of visual love to this song.

Well....

Last weekend it happened again :)

I started playing his "standing request" to play "The Black Fox".
It is a traditional song with a driving rhythm and some piercing deep harmonies. Evidently, some of the notes are able to drive through Rick's substantial hearing loss and give him some drones and sounds that he can hear.He LOVES this song.

I IMMEDIATELY called Rick up to sign along with us. It was fabulous!

Rick has great timing, and he was able to keep up with the quick paced song, and his hands were flying! He also gave the song some panache and beauty by "drawing out some of the signs" as we drew out and held notes.

Afterwards, I asked him to show the audience some of the signs in the song we sang....Signs for the "Devil" and for "Fox" and it was amusing to be able to share this language with its humor and it's beauty.

In talking to Anita later on, I had to laugh.....

Evidently, Rick, of course, likes to blast his music in the car.
(think about it :)

Anita said "You can hear him coming a mile away." :)

It is amusing and also terrifying to see him "singing" along to music....with his hands flying!

His hands are definitely NOT on the wheel when he sings :)

So this Romance Weekend, I salute Anita and Rick Figgins.

Two lovers who prove that love and music ......can overcome ANY odds.

"If music be the food of love.....PLAY ON" :)



Memories of Dog Daze.....

This dog day of summer harkens back to days of my youth.

The cicadas drumming unending in the swaying trees,

Popping tar bubbles on the deserted back road.....

The smell of tar in your nostrils and the black goo sticky on your fingers....

Reading Nancy Drew mysteries under a shade tree....

Picking miles and miles of green beans for my mother...

Who was currently spending her days bitching about the hot water bath canner in the kitchen....

But who would spend evenings and mornings admiring her blooming bleeding hearts and riotous zinnias in the garden...

Watching the dog lap up what was left of the water in the drying creek bed (pronounced "crick" bed, btw :)

Snakes baking in the sun....

Cats jumping for butterflies until they tired or the butterfly went too high....

Impatiently waiting for the kool-aid popsicles I made in the freezer to harden in the dixie cups, 

Obnoxious flies on the horses face,

The annoyance making the cows tails constantly twitch while they chewed their cud without blinking,

Watching my dad enjoy his cold beer after work on the porch, sitting in the rocking chair, surveying the farm, in his well worn factory grey pants and work shirt which smelled of the oily Air Brake, where he worked in 120 degrees...this hot day felt cooler to him......

Looking for the "sometimes treat" he would leave for me in his lunchbox (which smelled of wax paper and bologna sandwiches)

And the occasional sharing of his beer in my small but willing juice glass....to be like daddy.....

Stealing away to enjoy the sweet, dark, musty smell of the hay mow (pronounced "mow" like "cow") in the barn,

The sweet and silent terror and joy there of realizing the presence of a Barn Owl, who was regarding ME......

The surprise of the elusive and brilliant corn snake in the rows and rows of ripening corn,

Playing with the corn silk and the milkweed hair,pretending it was a beard or trying to turn it into a doll's hair for a summer project which soon got forgotten when supper was called......

Peeling your thighs off the backseat of the Chevy Nomad Stationwagon when you got to the ice cream stand that your mother took you to on a whim, and hoping she would let you get sprinkles or a candy shell.....

Diving into Chase's Lake with the water rust red from the iron and cold from the spring fed lake, swimming in the cold water while the old folks watched you swim and drank their cold drinks and ate Croghan Bologna and sharp cheese in the shade.....

Smelling your mother fry "sausage and pepper and onion sandwiches" on the stove because it was "too hot to cook".....

Your mother's inevitable and longed for Macaroni and Potato Salad with dinner.....

And then.....

The night came with it's blessed relief

Lightening bugs lit up my night and my jar as we found new energy when the sun set

And fireworks were the evenings event

And thunder filled the sky and you watched the lightening and counted miles in the distance....
and waited.......

Finding yourself on cool summer fresh sheets that had just been folded

In a rush

Off the line....

Just in time.

And then came the rain......

And with it......

Relief and sleep.

A Poem for A New Dawn

Wisdom of the Ages
Tarot of the Crone
Choice, Chance, Change
Speak to me of your Drifts

Let me follow the path
of a Woman's heart
Grow in me like a seedling
Reaching for the Sun

Draw those Close to me
Who Need me

Cast off those Gently from me
Who do Not

Let me Suckle those
Who Need a Mother

Let me Join with those
Who Desire a True Lover’s Heart

Sister to All

Songstress to Many

Spirit Angel to Some

Devils Tongue to Few

Voice of Reason

Sage of Wisdom

Singer of Sincerest Truth

Heart of Willing Generous Lover

Be always Mine.


Tales from the Crypt at our Monthly Storybook Club

Our Monthly Storybook Club met this ee'en and the THEME was VAMPIRES.

It is a wonderful group of fabulous, eclectic people who love to read and who love children's literature.

We started it back in December with "Hansel & Gretel" (think Gingerbread/Christmas :)

Well, we tried to meet twice but were discouraged by blizzards on both the nights that we scheduled it. Only Nick managed to meet Harry and I that month.

SO....
January was "The Snow Queen" (to have her stop cursing our get togethers with blizzards) and "Little Red Riding Hood" (actually a grown up tale as far as we were concerned....

February was the tales of the Russian folktale witch "Baba Yaga".(She's like "Uber-Mommy" ...she can reward you ....or kill you...)

March was the Irish Giant legend of "Finn McCool" (in honor of St. Paddy's Month)

April, we devoted our meeting to learning about Beatrix Potter with all her sassy bunnies, silly ducks and chickens (for Easter/Eostre)

May found us talking about Fairies for Beltane/May Day!

The Fairy wings inspired us to proceed in June to learn about DRAGONS....

Tonight's theme was Vampires and it was fabulous!
We all bring books/tales on the subject (sometimes folks even bring a song or slideshow of pics to share)  for the evening, passing them round to each other, telling what we've learned, and reading to each other.

Remember this is a GROWN UP party! NO KIDS allowed :)

We drink, we swear, we are bawdy, we ponder, we muse....

We also bring lots of goodies to the table. Literally. We try to match our food offerings to the theme too...just for fun!

Tonight's theme brought:
Bloody Mary's, Red Sangria, Pickled Garlic, Beef Stew in a tomato base, Garlic Bread, and Apple Brown Betty (renamed by Merlyn to be "Apple Crack" which someone commented last week at the 4th of July party that it was "To DIE for" :)

Here's a pic of my table centerpiece for the evening:
Mirrors/Garlic/Crosses/Crucifix/Beautiful Dead Roses, Red Tri-candle-abra...

WHAT FUN!!  What great stories!

We learned that:

A vampire has to be INVITED into your home.

The invitation can be recinded at any time, how'ere, it's like being addicted to something bad...you just never can stop the charismatic charm of a vampire...

Some things that kill vampires: Silver bullets, wooden stakes, silver swords, Sunshine...

There are also "Psychic Vampires" out there...and we ALL had stories of those....

We also learned that some diseases "mimic" vampire tell tale signs: people suffering from Diabetes (weakness/thirst/easy bruising) and Poryphria (weakness/seizures/hallucinations/skin problems/sensitivity to light, etc)  King George the III had Poryphria and he was also thought to be a vampire...

We also learned that the "signs" of being a vampire upon a corpse was scientifically proven to be just the normal signs of decomposition (most of the stories of bloated, engorged corpses were BEFORE embalming).

Some caskets even "rose" back to the surface...mostly from the gases released from the decomposing corpse!

And this piece of info: Headstones and crosses put on gravestones were NOT originally there to be "markers" or "remembrances" for our past loved ones. They were "weights" to keep them there and the crosses were to "deter" them from rising!

Much fun, laughter, stories, grand conversations and eating delicious food!

Next Month's THEME?

Well, we found that Vampire lore is really tangled up with WEREWOLVES....

so we'll be HOWLING next month!
Aaoooooowoooooo!!!

First Sterling Faire Day!

Ok so someone told me, "Break a leg and not a bodice string" and I laughed.

Later on at the cottage at the faire, I went to go get into my Moresca bodice at faire....and....
I was missing a lace! ACK! The parade was about to set off in 20 minutes....I RAN to Moresca's booth with my pouch. Passing Looney Lucy I said, "Eegads, this morning is not starting well! Missing a bodice lace!" as I passed clutching my ample bodice swinging in the breeze.

I flew into Moresca and said in panting breaths, "I'm in desperate need of a bodice lace!"
The girl behind the counter said 2 magic words:
"One Dollar".
"Grand!!! Can you also truss me up like a Christmas Goose?"
"Absolutely."

As I walked past Looney Lucy again on my way back to my cottage I said, "That was the best damn dollar I've spent all day! Now at least my tits are in place." She laughed her husky sweet laugh.

Had a great day. Lots of people, dust, beautiful sunshine. The day was hard to push volume for sound today. My voice is a little sore and husky....and I ate very well, veggies and good stuff....and tonight Harry bought pizza and wings for dinner.

READ: I ate my first bread and cheese in 5 weeks! YUM! But I kept myself to one piece.

I was able to climb the hills like a pro and I feel MUCH better than most years.....

The Bodice Challenge was a SUCCESS.

And I guess the whole bodice lace was there to remind me to not "Undo" myself and hang it all out. :)

Bodice Challenge Finish Line! 5 weeks in review~

Well friends, I made it. I decided 5 weeks ago that I was NOT  "faire ready" or in enough shape to traverse the hills of the Sterling Renaissance Faire.

ANYONE who goes there or works there knows that the hills KILL.
They seem to grow by the end of the day!
And unlike most, I traipse them in bodice, long skirt, carrying a guitar, drum and a belt that weighs about 10#. It's a VERY physical day, especially if you also include that I play 5- half hour shows (with jingles on my ankles dancing/tapping them for percussion) and I also have to participate in 2 parades through the grounds each faire day. It's rugged to say the least.

I started this "Bodice Challenge" to get a bit more in shape and thusly to fit into my "bodice" better and be able to breathe, I promised that I would blog about my journey.
I would cover these 4 areas every day.

1) Exercise (to MAKE me do SOMETHING daily)

2) Food intake (the good, the bad, the ugly....hopefully keeping me more on the good side and around 1500 cals a day

3) Creativity Accomplishment (something outward and not just a self involved quest)

4) My BP reading (I gave up my salt shaker and have been trying to lower it)

Here's what happened.

I gave up Bread. Haven't had ANY in 5 weeks! NONE. I almost faltered last night tho, making Harry a tunafish sandwich. ("oohh, the bodice challenge is almost over...2 slices won't kill you" said the devil.) But I DIDN'T. I had my delicious tuna on mixed greens instead. It was just as yummy.

I gave up eating cheese (for the most part) nothing "melted", no slices to yum up. Just a sprinkling of feta or blue sometimes on a salad. I don't drink milk at all anyways (milk intolerant since childhood when they had to raise me on goat's milk) but I can tolerate Greek yogurt which I've really been loving. I do Almond milk on cereal if I want it.

No fast food burgers, fries. Altho' I did get Arby's chicken tenders twice.Once on a trip on the thruway and yesterday because I was starving.

I'm measuring and counting pretty much everything.
I have greatly reduced my wine consumption. I did drink tequila last night and I was grateful for the offer and the company of a friend who knew I needed it and the chance to talk.

I have lost a total of 9# since beginning!

Have also lost 12 and 1/2 " (measurements came from arms/bust/waist/belly/hips/thighs)

My BP overall has been great, but the past couple days I've been under high stress and it has peaked at dangerous levels again. I am striving to lower it and I realize that while high blood pressure is about what you eat, drink and how you exercise, it is also about stress levels. Even tho my food intake and daily exercise have lowered it greatly, my blood pressure can spike under great duress.
My BP was 150/95 yesterday. Today it is lower (but still high) at 118/88. I'm trying to relax....and let the Gods take me and go with the flow of the Universe. Not sure where it's taking me...I'm fighting it a bit, but feel it's for the best.

There have been many folks who have read this blog who also became inspired to take on a similiar challenge for themselves:

Lynn (God bless Her!) also blogged daily the same as I did and took on the same 4 blogging points! She's feeling much better and I'm sure she'll look fetching in her bodice tomorrow!

Brian decided to "give up bread" altogether and even stood resistant to a day when his office carted in yummy deli sandwiches and Dinosaur BBQ cornbread!

Cynthia, is already very healthy, but she decided to add additional exercise to her day, climbing the 6 flights to her office and walking the 10 blocks to work! She is in a smaller pants size today!

Linda decided to start walking and put an app on her FB to measure her calculated progress daily!

Denise follows my blogs faithfully and has been very supportive to me along the way, with her stories, blogs, poems she sends and her tales of drinking water every day in certain quantities at certain times. She looks fabulous!

I am proud of you ALL!

I hope to be able to get through my opening weekend tomorrow with a lot more strength, and BREATH for the hills and the singing. And my face is thinner, and I feel pretty good about my promise to you all to blog all this time, all this blather, and I hope to continue my quest of keeping at my health, exercise, food intake, and creativity and monitoring my BP without going on medicine for it.

This is my last installment of the Bodice Challenge Blog. Maybe next year, I'll do another...but hopefully I'll keep up the good work and won't need the "whip into shape" attention that I did this year.
Thank you VERY much for reading, for your support and for also going on your own quests because of my silliness here. I'm glad you have been inspired. I hope to keep being an inspiration for a long time.

It's been a bumpy ride....but I'm still trekking.

BTW~ Some mischief for you:

Harry did ask me during this quest: "So....how many calories are in a blowjob?"
I told him "None, if you don't swallow it "
:)

See you at the faire!

Day 34.....35.....tick tick tick tick

Day 34 Bodice Challenge

1) Exercise: went for a walk/jog with Monty....and then ....I did a 2nd round again by myself w/o Monty.

2) Food
Breakfast: 2 eggs. Black coffee.
Lunch: Mac salad, raw veggies.
Snack: 1 sm. cookie, 1 apple
Dinner: 1 cup pasta, 1 cup sauce, chicken breast
After dinner: wine and 3 sm. pcs. of drk. chocolate. (1550)

Creativity: Played music

BP: 140/90


Day 35

1) Exercise: Nada

2) Food:
Breakfast: Banana and 1/2 cup blueberries, 1/2 cup yogurt, 1/2 cup cereal
Lunch: 3 Arby's chicken tenders
Snack: 1/4 cup mixed nuts
Pre dinner drink: Tequila ....about 4 shots...with lime and sea salt
Dinnner: Lunchmeat, tortilla chips, hummus, salad and 1/2 cup tuna salad
Dessert: a bit of dark chocolate

Creativity: Sewed the finishing touches on man's doublet vest

BP: 150-95 today. Very stressed. This was before nuts and sea salt too....

Tomorrow will be my last installment on this 5 week project.
I will give a final perspective on the morrow.

Day 33.....Bodice Challenge

Well, the bathroom scale said I didn't lose any weight....but then again...
I didn't GAIN any after this weekend either....so that's good too.

1) Exercise: Walked/Jogged with the Joe doggy

2) Food:
Breakfast: Part/ Leftovers :) yah, 1/2 cup mac salad, 1/2 cup potato salad, 1 cup apple Betty. Black coffee.
Lunch: Warmed up the last shish kebob (mostly veggies). Raw veggies.
Snack at my desk: some sunflower seeds, a Nature Valley granola snack bar, 1 dark chocolate
Dinner: 1/2 cup mac salad, 1 & 1/2 cups seafood Alfredo, 1 cup apple Betty.  2 glasses wine.
I figure I went over my target 1500 cals by about another 400. God damn you curse-ed period.

Creativity: Fixed my sewing machine's busted needle and tension, and finished sewing the 2 cap sleeves for the man's Ren vest. It's almost done. I should be able to finish it tomorrow or Wednesday and get that off my plate.

BP: 117/81

Been grazing a bit today.
TIRED.
On my menses.
5 of my 12 tomato plants are suddenly wilting weird, hoping they aren't blighting or infectious to my other plants.
Faire starts this Saturday.
I'm fucking stressed about several things.....

Will take my measurements and weight one last time for the Bodice Challenge which will be winding up on this Friday.

Thanks for hanging in there with me on all this shite. :)

Really appreciate your friendship and support.

How you doing?

Day 31

1) Exercise- cleaned, vac'd, mopped, weeded, laundry, shopping....LOTS of exercise. It would've have been less work to go for a run.

2) Food
Breakfast: 1/2 cup Greek yogurt and 1/2 cup cereal  (160)
Lunch: 1 mango and 1 cup pasta salad  (450)
Dinner: Ceasar salad, 1 cup wholewheat pasta, seafood Alfredo sauce (600)
After dinner: Wine and  2pc. chocolate  (250)  1450


Creativity: Weeded garden and sprucing up house for a bit of company tomorrow.

BP: 94/74!

Day 30 Bodice Challenge

Hey Ho!

A day of wondrous adventure I planned for this day!
First, I took Shawna to Rome to spend the afternoon with my dear friend, Lorie. She and I hadn't really had a good visit since before her trip to England. We chatted away the day, dished, gossiped, drank a couple of wine slushies, had a relaxed lunch of salads that we both made (yummy!) and then we watched the new "Little Red Riding Hood". We all enjoyed it very much.
 
Then Talon and I went out to see "Hamlet" at the Auburn Public Theatre. Harry was working an install so it was nice that I could still go out with my buddy boy, Talon and we thoroughly enjoyed a dark tragedy.

When I originally asked Talon if he wanted to go, he said, "What's it about?"
I said, "It's a tragedy. Everybody dies."
So kewl, he liked that idea  and it was nice to be able to chat about it for afters at Parker's and discuss the play and all it's complexities. :) He said, "You know, that's one good thing about watching a tragedy. No matter HOW SHITTY your life is...you feel better cuz it's never as bad as Hamlet's was!"

This is true. :)

1) Exercise: Walked/Jogged w/ Monty Joe

2) Food:
Breakfast: Melon and 2 eggs scrambled w/a sprinkle of feta. Black coffee.
Lunch: At Lorie's! A scoop of her delicious pasta salad, 1/2 cup of my tabooleh and 1/2 cup of my pinto bean salad. 2 Wine slushies. 1 chocolate.
Dinner: Pasta salad (to make sure it was still delicious, it was :) 1/2 tin sardines and 6 triskets.
After play nosh: 1 glass wine, cup of hearty tomato soup and 2 stolen honey garlic chicken wings off of Talon's plate :)

3) Creativity: Drove to Rome with Shawna to see Lorie. Went to see Hamlet with Talon.

4) BP: forgot ;) oops.

Yah, I over did it a bit on food...but not like I've done in the past. I sufficed with stealing 2 chicken wings, instead of ordering my own whole batch or getting something dripping with cheese. And I am finding that if I exercise in the morning, or plan on WHEN I can fit it into my day, it works far better. I am exercising every day and that's good. So, just filling Harry in on my day's adventures..... and hearing about his....
and we are all safe and sound with adventurous tales to tell.

And none of which is a tragedy.

Bodice Challenge Day 29....counting down to finish line...a week from today

Tonight was a truly fabulous night. Saw my dear friend Ada, whom I've not seen for years. She came over and I drove her over to pick up Shawna and then Jesse and she was able to see their residences. She was as proud of them as I am. Ada and I have been grand friends since I was 18! She's been through damn near everything with me over these many years....first living on our own...fledgling wings...we were "nudists" and "vegetarians" (or at the very least "exhibitionists" and "health nuts") when we lived in Texas, the land of rednecks...back in the late 70's.

We went to friend's Jim & Anna's house and met up with my other musician and writer friends and we ate and drank very well. Shawna swam like a dolphin for a good hour solid. Had poetry readings and songs by campfire with best friends in the moonlight while fire flies danced their salacious come hither dance for their prospective mates.

Been feeling strong, strong willed, strong armed and liking it. Coming into my healthy Crone and liking it.

Here's today's Bodice Challenge info for my update:

1) Walked Monty

2) Food:
Breakfast: Fresh melon and cereal with almond milk
Lunch: A tin of smoked oysters and 6 triskits and 1/2 a fresh tomato with pepper. YUM.
Dinner Party: small helpings of Tabbouleh, Tortellini w/ asparagus, Greek olives, a chicken and sage sausage (grilled- no bread) roasted veggies on skewers, 3 glasses of wine and some of Denise's "Apple Betty" which I renamed "Apple Betty Crack" (ok, I HAD to try it again....it's AMAZING and I'm going to make it for our 4th of July party. I will let you know how it turns out. I hope it's as good!!)
Snack: 1 piece dark chocolate.

3) Creativity: Worked on ren vest for friend. Was getting pretty far along until my needle busted. (Fuck) But tomorrow is another day :)

4) BP: 103/76
I enjoyed my day.
I enjoyed my walk with my darling doggy.
I enjoyed the food.
I enjoyed the company.
I enjoyed the sewing.

I enjoyed life and ME.