I am in a funk as far as work goes right now. I just cannot get motivated to do the things I need to do. So then I procrastinate, and do all the little things that are not nearly as important. I get this way sometimes, and it seems to become more of a problem if I am dieting and exercising. It seems I cannot focus on two important areas of my life at once. If I work at one, the others fall down. Then I feel more overwhelmed, and I procrastinate even more. Then generally, I give up on the dieting and exercising, because I "have too much going on".
I know the first rule, when you have a large task is to just start. Me, I plan to start, thereby delaying the actual starting.
Of course, with procrastination comes guilt and disappointment, which do nothing to help any areas of my life.
So now I am going to:
1. Get right to work on the invoicing and then on AP.
2. At the end of the day, plans tomorrow mornings important tasks, so I can get right to work tomorrow AM.
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Monday, October 29, 2007
Johnny Lingo's Eight-Cow Wife
I have always loved this story and wanted to share it (again) with those I love.
Johnny Lingo's Eight-Cow Wifeby Patricia McGerrCondensed from Woman's Day, November 1965Reader's Digest pp. 138-141, February 1988
When I sailed to Kiniwata, an island in the Pacific, I took along a notebook. After I got back it was filled with descriptions of flora and fauna, native customs and costumes. But the only note that still interests me is the one that says: "Johnny Lingo gave eight cows to Sarita's father." And I don't need to have it in writing. I'm reminded of it every time I see a woman belittling her husband or a wife withering under her husband's scorn. I want to say to them, "You should know why Johnny Lingo paid eight cows for his wife."
Johnny Lingo wasn't exactly his name. But that's what Shenkin, the manager of the guest house on Kiniwata called him. Shenkin was from Chicago and had a habit of Americanizing the names of the islanders. But Johnny was mentioned by many people in many connections. If I wanted to spend a few days on the neighboring island of Nurabandi, Johnny Lingo could put me up. If I wanted to fish, he could show me where the biting was best. If it was pearls I sought, he would bring me the best buys. The people of Kiniwata all spoke highly of Johnny Lingo. Yet when they spoke they smiled, and the smiles were slightly mocking.
"Get Johnny Lingo to help you find what you want and let him do the bargaining," advised Shenkin. "Johnny knows how to make a deal."
"Johnny Lingo!" A boy seated nearby hooted the name and rocked with laughter.
"What goes on?" I demanded. "Everybody tells me to get in touch with Johnny Lingo and then breaks up. Let me in on the Joke."
"Oh the people love to laugh," Shenkin said, shrugging. "Johnny's the brightest, the strongest young man in the islands. And for his age, the richest."
"But if he's all you say, what is there to laugh about?"
"Only one thing. Five months ago, at fall festival, Johnny came to Kiniwata and found himself a wife. He paid her father eight cows!"
I knew enough about island customs to be impressed. Two or three cows would buy a fair-to-middling wife, four of five a highly satisfactory one."Good Lord!" I said, "Eight cows! She must have beauty that takes your breath away."
"She's not ugly," he conceded, and smiled a little. "But the kindest could only call Sarita plain. Sam Karoo, her father, was afraid she'd be left on his hands."
"But then he got eight cows for her? Isn't that extraordinary?"
"Never been paid before."
"Yet you call Johnny's wife plain?"
"I said it would be kindness to call her plain. She was skinny. She walked with her shoulders hunched and her head ducked. She was scared of her own shadow."
"Well, I said, "I guess there's no accounting for love."
"True enough," agreed the man. "And that's why the villagers grin when they talk about Johnny. They get special satisfaction from the fact that the sharpest trader in the islands was bested by dull old Sam Karoo."
"But how?"
"No one knows and everyone wonders. All the cousins were urging Sam to ask for three cows and hold for two until he was sure Johnny'd pay only one. Then Johnny came to Sam Karoo and said 'Father of Sarita, I offer eight cows for your daughter.'"
"Eight cows," I murmured. "I'd like to meet this Johnny Lingo."
I wanted fish. I wanted pearls. So the next afternoon I beached my boat at Nurabandi. And I noticed as I asked directions to Johnny's house that his name brought no sly smile to the lips of his fellow Nurabandians. And when I met the slim, serious young man, when he welcomed me with grace to his home, I was glad that from his own people he had respect unmingled with mockery. We sat in his house and talked. Then he asked "You come here from Kiniwata?"
"Yes."
"They speak of me on that island?"
"They say there's nothing I might want that you can't help me get."
He smiled gently. "My wife is from Kiniwata."
"Yes, I know."
"They speak of her."
"A little."
"What do they say."
"Why, just...." The question caught me off balance. "They told me you were married at festival time."
"Nothing more?" The curve of his eyebrows told me he knew there had to be more.
"They also say the marriage settlement was eight cows." I paused. "They wonder why."
"They ask that?" His eyes lighted with pleasure. "Everyone in Kiniwata knows about the eight cows?"I nodded."And in Nurabandi everyone knows it too." His chest expanded with satisfaction. "Always and forever, when they speak of marriage settlements, it will be remembered that Johnny Lingo paid eight cows for Sarita."
So that's the answer, I thought: vanity.And then I saw her. I watched her enter the room to place flowers on the table. She stood a moment to smile at the young man beside me. Then she went swiftly out again. She was the most beautiful woman I have ever seen. The lift of her shoulders, the tilt of her chin, the sparkle of here eyes all spelled a pride to which no one could deny her the right.I turned back to Johnny Lingo and found him looking at me.
"You admire her?" he murmured.
"She...she's glorious. But she's not Sarita from Kiniwata," I said.
"There's only one Sarita. Perhaps she does not look the way they say she looked in Kiniwata."
"She doesn't. I heard she was homely. They all make fun of you because you let yourself be cheated by Sam Karoo."
"You think eight cows were too many?" A smile slid over his lips.
"No. But how can she be so different?"
"Do you ever think," he asked, "what it must mean to a woman to know that her husband has settled on the lowest price for which she can be bought? An then later, when the women talk, they boast of what their husbands paid for them. One says four cows, another maybe six. How does she feel, the woman who was sold for one or two? This could not happen to my Sarita."
"Then you did this just to make your wife happy?"
"I wanted Sarita to be happy, yes. But I wanted more than that. You say she is different. This is true. Many things can change a woman. Things happen inside, things happen outside. But the thing that matters most is what she thinks of herself. In Kiniwata, Sarita believed she was worth nothing. Now she knows she is worth more than any other woman in the islands."
"Then you wanted--"
"I wanted to marry Sarita. I loved her and no other woman."
"But--" I was close to understanding.
"But," he finished softly, "I wanted an eight-cow wife."
Johnny Lingo's Eight-Cow Wifeby Patricia McGerrCondensed from Woman's Day, November 1965Reader's Digest pp. 138-141, February 1988
When I sailed to Kiniwata, an island in the Pacific, I took along a notebook. After I got back it was filled with descriptions of flora and fauna, native customs and costumes. But the only note that still interests me is the one that says: "Johnny Lingo gave eight cows to Sarita's father." And I don't need to have it in writing. I'm reminded of it every time I see a woman belittling her husband or a wife withering under her husband's scorn. I want to say to them, "You should know why Johnny Lingo paid eight cows for his wife."
Johnny Lingo wasn't exactly his name. But that's what Shenkin, the manager of the guest house on Kiniwata called him. Shenkin was from Chicago and had a habit of Americanizing the names of the islanders. But Johnny was mentioned by many people in many connections. If I wanted to spend a few days on the neighboring island of Nurabandi, Johnny Lingo could put me up. If I wanted to fish, he could show me where the biting was best. If it was pearls I sought, he would bring me the best buys. The people of Kiniwata all spoke highly of Johnny Lingo. Yet when they spoke they smiled, and the smiles were slightly mocking.
"Get Johnny Lingo to help you find what you want and let him do the bargaining," advised Shenkin. "Johnny knows how to make a deal."
"Johnny Lingo!" A boy seated nearby hooted the name and rocked with laughter.
"What goes on?" I demanded. "Everybody tells me to get in touch with Johnny Lingo and then breaks up. Let me in on the Joke."
"Oh the people love to laugh," Shenkin said, shrugging. "Johnny's the brightest, the strongest young man in the islands. And for his age, the richest."
"But if he's all you say, what is there to laugh about?"
"Only one thing. Five months ago, at fall festival, Johnny came to Kiniwata and found himself a wife. He paid her father eight cows!"
I knew enough about island customs to be impressed. Two or three cows would buy a fair-to-middling wife, four of five a highly satisfactory one."Good Lord!" I said, "Eight cows! She must have beauty that takes your breath away."
"She's not ugly," he conceded, and smiled a little. "But the kindest could only call Sarita plain. Sam Karoo, her father, was afraid she'd be left on his hands."
"But then he got eight cows for her? Isn't that extraordinary?"
"Never been paid before."
"Yet you call Johnny's wife plain?"
"I said it would be kindness to call her plain. She was skinny. She walked with her shoulders hunched and her head ducked. She was scared of her own shadow."
"Well, I said, "I guess there's no accounting for love."
"True enough," agreed the man. "And that's why the villagers grin when they talk about Johnny. They get special satisfaction from the fact that the sharpest trader in the islands was bested by dull old Sam Karoo."
"But how?"
"No one knows and everyone wonders. All the cousins were urging Sam to ask for three cows and hold for two until he was sure Johnny'd pay only one. Then Johnny came to Sam Karoo and said 'Father of Sarita, I offer eight cows for your daughter.'"
"Eight cows," I murmured. "I'd like to meet this Johnny Lingo."
I wanted fish. I wanted pearls. So the next afternoon I beached my boat at Nurabandi. And I noticed as I asked directions to Johnny's house that his name brought no sly smile to the lips of his fellow Nurabandians. And when I met the slim, serious young man, when he welcomed me with grace to his home, I was glad that from his own people he had respect unmingled with mockery. We sat in his house and talked. Then he asked "You come here from Kiniwata?"
"Yes."
"They speak of me on that island?"
"They say there's nothing I might want that you can't help me get."
He smiled gently. "My wife is from Kiniwata."
"Yes, I know."
"They speak of her."
"A little."
"What do they say."
"Why, just...." The question caught me off balance. "They told me you were married at festival time."
"Nothing more?" The curve of his eyebrows told me he knew there had to be more.
"They also say the marriage settlement was eight cows." I paused. "They wonder why."
"They ask that?" His eyes lighted with pleasure. "Everyone in Kiniwata knows about the eight cows?"I nodded."And in Nurabandi everyone knows it too." His chest expanded with satisfaction. "Always and forever, when they speak of marriage settlements, it will be remembered that Johnny Lingo paid eight cows for Sarita."
So that's the answer, I thought: vanity.And then I saw her. I watched her enter the room to place flowers on the table. She stood a moment to smile at the young man beside me. Then she went swiftly out again. She was the most beautiful woman I have ever seen. The lift of her shoulders, the tilt of her chin, the sparkle of here eyes all spelled a pride to which no one could deny her the right.I turned back to Johnny Lingo and found him looking at me.
"You admire her?" he murmured.
"She...she's glorious. But she's not Sarita from Kiniwata," I said.
"There's only one Sarita. Perhaps she does not look the way they say she looked in Kiniwata."
"She doesn't. I heard she was homely. They all make fun of you because you let yourself be cheated by Sam Karoo."
"You think eight cows were too many?" A smile slid over his lips.
"No. But how can she be so different?"
"Do you ever think," he asked, "what it must mean to a woman to know that her husband has settled on the lowest price for which she can be bought? An then later, when the women talk, they boast of what their husbands paid for them. One says four cows, another maybe six. How does she feel, the woman who was sold for one or two? This could not happen to my Sarita."
"Then you did this just to make your wife happy?"
"I wanted Sarita to be happy, yes. But I wanted more than that. You say she is different. This is true. Many things can change a woman. Things happen inside, things happen outside. But the thing that matters most is what she thinks of herself. In Kiniwata, Sarita believed she was worth nothing. Now she knows she is worth more than any other woman in the islands."
"Then you wanted--"
"I wanted to marry Sarita. I loved her and no other woman."
"But--" I was close to understanding.
"But," he finished softly, "I wanted an eight-cow wife."
One Percent
I recently read an article in Parade Magazine which I thought very motivating and inspirational.
The article basically says that what we consider "normal" aging is not normal at all - our bodies are designed to age slowly and remarkably well. Most of what we see and fear is decay - and decay is a choice. Most aging is just dry rot we program into our cells by sedentary living, junk food and stress. We can live out our life in a powerful, healthy body if we are willing to put in the work
Most cells in our body regenerate every 1 to 90 days. About 1% of our cells are replaced each day and every 100 days we essentially have a new body. Based upon how we live today, the cells that are regenerated will either be programmed for decay (conservation of energy) or growth (activity). We choose whether those new cells come in stronger or weaker. We choose whether they grow or decay each day from then on. Our cells do not care which choice we make - they just follow the direction we send.
Cells are programmed to become strong in Spring, when food abounds and there are calories to fuel hungry muscles. In Winter, when calories disappear, surviving starvation is the key, so the cells are programmed to decay. But food is not the controlling signal - movement is.
The other signal - equal and in some respects more important is emotion. Emotions change our cells through the same molecular pathway as exercise.
Deep in our cells, down at the level of molecular genetics, we are wired to exercise and to care.
Anyway - I thought the article was great and am looking forward to my "new body". I also think this is why it takes about 3 months to develop the habit of exercise. So far it is a chore I drag myself up to do each day, so I am hoping after my 100 days, my new cells are more "pumped" for exercise.
Here is the link for the entire article:
http://parade.com/articles/editions/2007/edition_03-18-2007/Make_Body_Younger
The article basically says that what we consider "normal" aging is not normal at all - our bodies are designed to age slowly and remarkably well. Most of what we see and fear is decay - and decay is a choice. Most aging is just dry rot we program into our cells by sedentary living, junk food and stress. We can live out our life in a powerful, healthy body if we are willing to put in the work
Most cells in our body regenerate every 1 to 90 days. About 1% of our cells are replaced each day and every 100 days we essentially have a new body. Based upon how we live today, the cells that are regenerated will either be programmed for decay (conservation of energy) or growth (activity). We choose whether those new cells come in stronger or weaker. We choose whether they grow or decay each day from then on. Our cells do not care which choice we make - they just follow the direction we send.
Cells are programmed to become strong in Spring, when food abounds and there are calories to fuel hungry muscles. In Winter, when calories disappear, surviving starvation is the key, so the cells are programmed to decay. But food is not the controlling signal - movement is.
The other signal - equal and in some respects more important is emotion. Emotions change our cells through the same molecular pathway as exercise.
Deep in our cells, down at the level of molecular genetics, we are wired to exercise and to care.
Anyway - I thought the article was great and am looking forward to my "new body". I also think this is why it takes about 3 months to develop the habit of exercise. So far it is a chore I drag myself up to do each day, so I am hoping after my 100 days, my new cells are more "pumped" for exercise.
Here is the link for the entire article:
http://parade.com/articles/editions/2007/edition_03-18-2007/Make_Body_Younger
Competition - Sister Style
This weekend my sister, Carole, called me and proposed a contest. Whichever one of us loses the most weight through the holiday season, the other springs for a pedicure. Her hope is to inspire each of us to lose rather than gain weight through the challenging holidays. My hope is to WIN!!! (But since she is my sister, I hope I only beat her by a pound or two).
Now on the one hand, I am a bit competitive, and think, no problemo. However, when it come to determination - I cannot hold a candle to my sister. When she makes up her mind, she is so incredibly determined and dare I say, stubborn. I have seen her lose good amounts a weight. The most weight I have ever lost is 17 lbs - and it found me again! So if I am going to compete with Carole - I am really going to have to compete!
I did exercise Saturday and then did 3 hours of housework. I was careful not to overeat this weekend. And my reward - I gained 2 lbs!!!!
At any rate, I exercised again today (exercycle 30 minutes; weight training 15) . I had been alternating weight training (legs, butt, abs, lower back one day and arms, shoulders, chest and upper back the next), but I have been also wanting to do yoga. So I am going to do all the weight training on one day, and do yoga the next.
So, Carole, I love you dearly and wish you success, but I am really going to enjoy it when the girl is massaging my feet and calves and you are massaging your credit card!!!
Now on the one hand, I am a bit competitive, and think, no problemo. However, when it come to determination - I cannot hold a candle to my sister. When she makes up her mind, she is so incredibly determined and dare I say, stubborn. I have seen her lose good amounts a weight. The most weight I have ever lost is 17 lbs - and it found me again! So if I am going to compete with Carole - I am really going to have to compete!
I did exercise Saturday and then did 3 hours of housework. I was careful not to overeat this weekend. And my reward - I gained 2 lbs!!!!
At any rate, I exercised again today (exercycle 30 minutes; weight training 15) . I had been alternating weight training (legs, butt, abs, lower back one day and arms, shoulders, chest and upper back the next), but I have been also wanting to do yoga. So I am going to do all the weight training on one day, and do yoga the next.
So, Carole, I love you dearly and wish you success, but I am really going to enjoy it when the girl is massaging my feet and calves and you are massaging your credit card!!!
Friday, October 26, 2007
Courage or something like that....
I went to WW last night (for the first time in three weeks). It was nice to get back and as always, Tammy and I had an enjoyable evening. She is so positive - she is truly a blessing to be around.
Anyway, our esteemed leader reminded me that this was my last Silver (6 month) membership, which expires on December 31 - because I had boldly stated in July when I purchased it, that I would be at goal by the end of the year. So to that end I have lost - what! - I have gained 3 lbs! Now to make my statement a reality, I will have to lose 3.77 lbs per week, for the next nine weeks - yes I am 34 lbs away.
Now I know it is not realistic to think that I can lose that much weight before the end of the year - and probably not that good for my body. But how close can I come? What goal should I set? Am I setting myself up for failure if I have too ambitious a goal - will it DIScourage me rather than ENcourage me? As I write this I notice that both of those words have COURAGE for a root word. Do I have the COURAGE to push ahead and try to achieve this goal? Is it courage I need, or motivation, or discipline, or something I have not yet defined?
So what I am endeavoring to do is to see just how much weight I can lose, while maintaining healthly principles. My assignment is to:
1. Drink 8 glasses of water each day - slosh, slosh, slosh.
2. Buy some of the WW 0 points soups to eat.
3. Limit myself to just the 22 points per day and not eat any of the extra 35 weekly points allowed (she writes as she sips her coffee with a generous splash of French Vanilla Coffeemate)
4. Exercise - cycle 30 min 6x/wk; weight train 4x/wk; yoga 4x/wk; walk every afternoon; meditate daily
5. Read my Weight Loss Advantages card at least twice each day.
6. Receive encouragement
And your assignment, my beloved friends, is to provide encouragement and support.
"On three. One, two, three - Just Do It!"
Anyway, our esteemed leader reminded me that this was my last Silver (6 month) membership, which expires on December 31 - because I had boldly stated in July when I purchased it, that I would be at goal by the end of the year. So to that end I have lost - what! - I have gained 3 lbs! Now to make my statement a reality, I will have to lose 3.77 lbs per week, for the next nine weeks - yes I am 34 lbs away.
Now I know it is not realistic to think that I can lose that much weight before the end of the year - and probably not that good for my body. But how close can I come? What goal should I set? Am I setting myself up for failure if I have too ambitious a goal - will it DIScourage me rather than ENcourage me? As I write this I notice that both of those words have COURAGE for a root word. Do I have the COURAGE to push ahead and try to achieve this goal? Is it courage I need, or motivation, or discipline, or something I have not yet defined?
So what I am endeavoring to do is to see just how much weight I can lose, while maintaining healthly principles. My assignment is to:
1. Drink 8 glasses of water each day - slosh, slosh, slosh.
2. Buy some of the WW 0 points soups to eat.
3. Limit myself to just the 22 points per day and not eat any of the extra 35 weekly points allowed (she writes as she sips her coffee with a generous splash of French Vanilla Coffeemate)
4. Exercise - cycle 30 min 6x/wk; weight train 4x/wk; yoga 4x/wk; walk every afternoon; meditate daily
5. Read my Weight Loss Advantages card at least twice each day.
6. Receive encouragement
And your assignment, my beloved friends, is to provide encouragement and support.
"On three. One, two, three - Just Do It!"
Thursday, October 25, 2007
My first Blog (here)
I thought I would start a blog that is a bit more accessible. I have one on AOL, but thought this would work better and my firend Mandy has one and I always love reading hers.
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