no resolutions

I have been blog-neglectful, mostly due to alternating between sloth (including watching the Baguette Cam) and working on both the poetry book and the memoir. Plus, the house has been brimful of kidlets; for example, my elder daughter had her friend over; they both came upstairs during the evening, wearing green facial masques. They also played the stereo until all hours. I am glad that my elder daughter's vacation from school lasts until the end of the month; I always miss her a lot when she is gone--still, it's gratifying to watch her grow into such an incredible young woman.

I have made no New Year's resolutions for myself, finding that they are preprogrammed ways for me to beat myself up emotionally. I have, however, made a determination to get healthier this year, as my two chronic illnesses (lupus and fibromyalgia) have been very troublesome over the last two months.I made an appointment with a nutritionist at the local Women's Heath Center and she gave me some sane guidelines for eating, supplements, etc. In addition to my Omega-3 regimen, she suggested extra calcium and magnesium (magnesium is something that can apparently help fibromyalgia). I upped my supplementation of those minerals (using Trader Joe's "calcium, magnesium, and zinc" supplement) and have been pain-free for 48 hours. This is amazing, considering that winter is the most difficult time for me, healthwise. She also recommended drinking at least two cups of very strong green tea (brewed until it's bitter, which brings out all the antioxidants), and upping my exercise to at least 3 thirty-minute walks a week. The hardest part for me was that she asked me to get rid of my scale! It was very hard to put it in the hall closet (I am not yet at the point where I can dump it)--but I find that I feel a lot better about myself now that it's gone. She told me that weight isn't always an indicator of health, and I felt really happy to hear that. I had told her that I find myself craving sugar before bedtime, so my new "suggestion" from her is to put between two and three hours between my last meal and bedtime, and eat veggies if I crave something after dinner (I am gradually reducing my intake of white sugar and refined flour, too). My goal is to get healthier; if I lose weight in the process, that's also great. After a few days of following these suggestions, I have a lot more energy and I sleep better at night.

So, hopefully I will end 2006 in radiant good health, or at least approaching that!