GiST #73

1. In anticipation of Snowmageddon 2.0, the local community college and school districts will be closed for tomorrow.

2. There's about an inch of snow on the ground now and everyone is in the house, safe and sound.

3. Lost continues to not only entertain but also provides a lot of food for thought!

4. TB's epidural is kicking in and he was doing a lot better today!

5. I am so encouraged by supportive comments left for me at GiST and on my blog. I thank you all!

Stay nice and comfy cozy this night! :)

GiST $72

For yesterday and today:

1. The roads were clear and there was no problem getting TB to or from the surgical center so he could get his spinal epidural. He had a really hard time of it so I was really glad to be there so I could drive back. I hope the epidural starts to work soon.

2. I finished I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou. I'd never read it and it was long on my list of "I want to read that".

3. Maxwell House instant coffee--it's not bad in a pinch and helped me wake up this afternoon!

4. Kennan -- Tomas' daddy. He came with his plow and cleared out the rest of our driveway and also pushed away the snow in front of our house. He did this because he knew there was more snow coming. Awesome guy!

5. Having a "make-up" birthday celebration with our little guy on Sunday.



6. Part of the jambalaya was pretty good. We won't talk about the other part. ;)

7. The New Orleans Saints won the Super Bowl. Good. I'm still annoyed with the Colts for leaving Baltimore!

8. I finally finally finally got the comments to work on my blog, Atypical Coda!

Belief in God & recovering from insanity

I've just begun working on the second step of my program. I realize now how little thought I gave to it twenty years ago. I paid it lip service and moved on without a second thought. Why? I believe in God. I know that God is always with me no matter what. So why bother? I had this step down pat.

But now I'm looking at the step with my 54-year-old eyes and I'm looking at it more carefully. It's not about believing in God. It's about believing that He can bring me back to sanity. I'm sure I wanted to just brush over that word. Insanity, yeah, right. Crazy, me? I don't think so ... but okay, because that's what it says.

My favorite definition of insanity comes from Albert Einstein. Insanity is what happens when you do the same thing over and over and over again, expecting different results. Isn't that what my pattern of behaviors have been? More than that, I haven't lived in my parents' house for over 30 years--and yet i still have some of the same behaviors. What's up with that?

I'm not saying I am insane or psychotic and I don't think that's exactly what the step means either. I think it is talking about that repetitive destructive behavior though.

Here is where God comes into it: there is so much that is beyond my control. But God, being the perfection He is, can control anything. With His love and guidance, I can get out of the "insane" patterns of behavior--of doing the same destructive thing over and over. I can be brought back to sanity, reason, a healthier way of living my life.

This is something I just did NOT get the first time I looked at this step. I was still too much in denial or maybe just too young. I'm older and wiser now--at least, I hope so!

GiST #71

1. We got lots and lots and lots of lovely snow today!

Kosmo takes a look at all the snow falling


This was actually the first picture I took this morning. It still looks dark out, doesn't it? See Munchie's eyes reflecting back? She sure was fascinated with it all!


Like Kosmo, Amber's a veteran of watching snowfall. I could tell she was enjoying the view.



2. It was fun to watch the snow out the window on and off all day. It was too windy to go outside so we didn't go for a walk in it. Maybe tomorrow!

3. Split pea soup on a cold snowy day is filling and makes awesome comfort food. We also made grilled cheese sandwiches.

4. Today was a day to do absolutely nothing but read, play on the computer and look out the window.

5. Well ... I did get one thing done: the laundry!

GiST #70

It was almost not a great day. My computer crashed again last night, the one that TB cobbled together from three older ones. He was so frustrated and couldn't figure out what happened. I was so sad and resigned to using either his or the slow old computer in the living room. But ...

1. TB pulled off another bit of wonder-magic and fixed the cobbled together computer. It's up and running again!

2. I immediately and successfully backed up the files I'd added over the last week. I will need to back stuff up every time I add something new!

3. We managed to successfully navigate our grocery store, full of desperate people looking for milk, bread, eggs and toilet paper. I guess that's because we were looking for green peppers and celery ... can't be without those in a snow storm! ;)

4. New York by Edward Rutherford arrived in the mail today from the Book of the Month Club.

5. Just in time for the big storm, TB and I also got blanket-robes. Now we're set!

Now that my computer is back up, I hope to get around and visit other GiSTers!

GiST #69

1. Making more progress in the workbook

2. Connecting with a group of people my age on Obesity Help

3. Another day spent basically goofing off

4. A restful nap

5. Chicken fricassee that came out very well!

GiST #68

1. Getting around a stumbling block on one of my workbook activities. I don't always have to have the answers! It feels good to give in to not having to be perfect. Even if I just scratch the surface, that's progress!

2. Look what TB made for me!



3. Playing Uno with two of the kids today

4. Giving in to not feeling well and ... taking this from Sue ... remembering how well I usually feel!

5. I lost two more pounds! I'm about 35 pounds from MY goal!