The Mysterious Note

About a month ago, I received a note in my mailbox. It had no envelope but was hand-written on a folded piece of simple parchment paper. My name was printed on the front, with capital letters where there should have been lower-case letters, and lower-case where there should have been caps. Inside the folded paper were pictures, odd pictures totally unrelated to the words, drawn next to some of the demands. On the back was a black handprint with the words, Foot Print, above it. So strange that something like this would end up in MY mailbox. I never mentioned it to anyone, thinking it was a silly prank. But…I couldn't get the words out of my mind. The demands were almost psychotic in nature.

At first I thought it was one of the kids from down the road who walks by with his dogs and a couple of siblings, every day. I had seen them stopping by the mailbox, on several occasions, while their dogs did their duty. They seemed like really great kids though. When one stopped, they all stopped. One held the dogs, another picked up the residue left by their pets. Surely it wasn't one of them. I laid the note aside.

Last week, another one showed up in our mailbox. Was it now time to get a bit worried about this? The note said, "If you ignore me, it will only get worse."

There was no contact information on the note. No phone number, address, email, FB link…nothing. Just threats. How was I to respond? I didn't want to tell my husband, nor my girls. Why should they have to carry this load, when there were no clues as to how it had arrived? I couldn't really take it to the police. What if it was just a prank? I didn't want to give them the last laugh, so…I took matters into my own hands.

Knowing our mailman's routine, I waited until the mail usually arrives on any given day, and then put my own note in the mailbox. I threw the ball back into their court, making sure the note was written with the same misprinted words as they used. Spelling my name exactly the way they did, and laying out demands bigger than theirs, gave me a sense of power. Yes, power. Because now, they would think they were dealing with someone on their own uneducated, and/or, psychotic level. And…it was worded in such a way that they would even question it's authenticity, much like I did. Since it was time for me to head to work, I double locked the doors to our house, and left. I would check the box when I got home late the evening of the 18th.

The 18th came and went, with no more contact. The mailbox lay silent for 2 more days. Then, just yesterday, a reply comes…

Okay…it's your turn. How should this story end?

Here I wait...in Mary's World.
P.S.
Just so you know I'm not really a psycho…I'm using the gift of "642 Things To Write About" book, as inspiration to write. This topic just happened to be the next one up. So…did I have you worried? Or did you know it was fake from the beginning?

My Long-Lost Friend

Her name was (is?) Emma Witherspoon. Many years ago…let's say 42-43, I lived in Madison, Tennessee. A suburb of Nashville, it provided me safe haven from an out-of-control wife beater, who I left back in Oklahoma. There, I met a wonderful young lady. At the time she was married to a police officer, and we became friends.

Emma was as close a friend as I ever had in those days. There was one other gal, Faye, something-or-other, but she couldn't really be called a friend. We went to breakfast some mornings after late hours at our place of employment…but that was about it. Emma, was a true friend. So kind and understanding. She had a listening ear and a tender heart. We shared many stories and went to places together.

I found it rather strange that she came from the same type of family I did. Her dad was a minister,  like mine was. She had many of the same struggles that I did as a child. Maybe that is why we connected so quickly. I loved her so much! And now, I can't find her. 

The last time we connected was somewhere around 1975…maybe a little later. I just can't remember the exact time frame it was when I received a middle-of-the-night call from her. She was crying, wanting…needing, to talk. Her marriage was on the rocks and she had to move away. During that call, we exchanged addresses, and I was able to send her a photo of our little family. Linds and Megs were very small at the time. Linds was almost 3 and Meg had just turned 1…or around that age. So, maybe the year was closer to 1985. I surely don't remember. She wrote back that she had shown the photo to others I had worked closely with, that she loved the picture and wish her life had gone the path of mine.

The years have taken a lot of the memories of those days, away from me. Those were dark days in my life and I think maybe they should not be brought up again. But, what I'd give to see Emma and reconnect. Just to see where her journey took her. And to ask if she is now, as happy as I am.

I've tried, over the years, to find her. And I've always failed. I've done Google searches most recently, but still come up empty handed. If I had a picture of her, I'd share it on Facebook…just to see what it would produce. I've done searches there, as well. Even messaged a gal that looked a lot like her, thinking it might be her daughter...but it wasn't her.

Where is my friend???

I'll keep looking, while bidding my time here…in Mary's World

I Dream of Her and That Great Cloud of Witnesses

It's been said the closer one gets to home, the more one dreams of it. I don't know that I was dreaming of home, early this morning, but the dream did give me a sense of peace and assurance.

I know my words are going to fail in the description of what I saw, yet I must record them as best I can. My sister, Becky, was at the center of this encounter. She was about to address a massive group of people that I couldn't see, but knew was there. In fact the only people I could see was Becky's husband, at the time of her death, Denny Johnson, and Linda Prater, a sister-in-law.

On a table, sat a very large, oblong book. Becky was stunningly beautiful. Young and confident. She looked the same as I'd always known her to look, with one exception. I've never seen health look so beautiful…words truly fail in this description.

She opened the book and began to speak of her life on earth. I knew she was talking, but I don't know what she was saying. I was mesmerized with her beauty. Somewhere in the course of her speaking, she began singing. I couldn't believe how harmonious the sound was. Such a beautiful voice…smooth and without error. She was perfect in every aspect. Then, somewhere behind me, I heard an old friend of mine, Jani Anderson, singing. Becky had stopped…Jani had begun. Again…beautifully smooth and melodious notes. So enticing.

It seemed only a short while and Becky was asking for us to pray. My attention was on her words suddenly. Silently I waited, with head bowed, hoping she would not ask me to pray aloud. Beings I was sitting alone, and on the front seat, with rapt attention, I was fearful I might be her target.

"Mary, what would you like to say?" Words came from her that totally put me at ease as I looked deep inside my heart. "Oh God. We understand we're not meant to live here forever. We long for the time we can be with You for all of eternity, where there is no suffering, no tears…" As I was praying, the enormous crowd (that I could not see, yet knew was there), starting singing the words I was praying. It seemed I knew the song…yet now, as I try remembering details of this dream, I cannot bring them to mind. Oddly, tears are easing their way out of my eyes while my mind takes me back to that moment of awakening on this God given opportunity of a day.

Why I felt to post of this event, I'm not sure. I do know that it is so very important to begin to see things as they really are. To see people as God's handiwork. To not take for granted the beauty in this world we are a part of for such a short period of time. To cherish the moments, the days, weeks, months, years that we've been given to fulfill the promises of God. To let go of silly disagreements and everything that would cause a disruption in the peaceful atmosphere of a home. We're made of better stuff than the mundane. We must realize we were created as spirit beings, housed in a mixture of earth, water, air, and a bit of "fire". Breathed into life by the Spirit of God. From Him we came, and one day will return back to Him.

Until the day of me joining in with the singing of that great cloud of witnesses, here you'll find me…in Mary's World.

A Most Beautiful Woman

She was a mere 18 years old when she married. A delicate flower, experiencing life as she had never understood it to be. This sort of thing was never discussed, never allowed to be spoken of, even behind closed doors…during the era in which she was given to live.

The years before she married had been dedicated to learning in government led schools and becoming a woman with only one focus…to eventually be a housewife with many children running around her feet. That's what most every woman in the early 1900's supposed the best life to consist of.

The year was1925 when her life took a drastic turn. No longer was she just someone's child, she was now a married woman with a child of her own on the way. Thus her family started and every 2 years another responsibility was added to her life. The exception was only a couple of times when she was able to go an extra year before becoming pregnant again, by breast feeding the latest child as long as possible.  March of 1926, her first daughter was born. Children continued to come, until 11 had been conceived and 10 birthed..1 girl, 3 boys, 2 girls, 1 boy, 1 girl, 1 boy, 1 girl.

She was a hard worker that rose to the task of making sure her family was well fed and clothed. Her hands were never idle. They were either sewing or mending…planting or reaping…washing or ironing…nurturing or soothing…baking or cooking…cleaning or building. Her love of flowers, was what brought her peace in the midst of it all. She knew them all by their names and what sort of care they needed to survive, to flourish. Just as she knew what was needed to care for all her children and husband, that they might survive, that they might flourish.

How I wish I knew her better. I wish there had been moments of learning from her, from hearing her life's story. I don't know that anyone really does know. She wasn't one to burden others with her troubles, or even to visit for long periods of time. There was no time for such.

We were raised on a farm and most of us worked with Dad in the harvest fields, the log woods, the sawmill, the milk barn or hay fields. Only two of the girls stayed in the house to help with "women's work". I wasn't one of them. But I WAS one that received from her nurturing, especially at night when it was bed time and she made sure we were all warm and comfortable. Or when sitting at her table, filled with the goodness the earth had rendered, and her hands had labored over. Or when my head was spinning with fever, causing hallucinations that in turn filled me with terror. Or when my legs ached with "growing pains" and she lovingly massaged Cool A Ped over the surface, until I fell asleep.

These are the things I remember most about my mom. And her laugh. She had a beautiful laugh…so real, never forced.  And the fact that she was always busy with important things, needed things. And that she was a true artist. Not many knew that about her. I did.

I was assigned a couple of essays in Science one year while in high school. One of my choices was the anatomy of flowers, their pollen, and what purpose they served. Another was the human skeletal system and it's function. She went to a special box that had been put away, pulled out her own thesis on both, and I was blown away. Never had she spoken of this talent. I will never forget the awe that swept over me as I gently flipped through page after page of intricate drawings, as if they were ancient articles that demanded care. Each drawing was labeled with the finest handwriting I'd ever seen.

This very short acknowledgment of Mom's journey on earth, is a result of an inspiration from a Christmas gift this year. A client brought me a book entitled 642 Things to Write About, by the San Francisco Writers' Grotto. As I flipped through the entries, my eyes landed and read over and over again, "Describe your mother." I wondered if I could. The words seemed to be emblazoned in my mind for the next two days.

Erna Amelia (Fawks) Prater began her life on July 1, 1907, in Columbia, Missouri,  and was transferred to Heaven on March 19, 1980…the beautiful lady that gave life to so many.

Here, you'll always find me…in Mary's World

My Weight Loss Journey and How I Took Back My Life

This blog reveals a time of renewal that was birthed from a time of slow decent, into what felt like an abyss, and then came a determined mind set. Many things contributed to this period of time as I slowly withdrew inside myself. My confidence began wavering, my attitude full of damaging internal expression. Thoughts of being at the end of my life, ran rampant in my mind. I couldn't focus well. I desperately needed to feel needed and valuable.

• A new business had been started on Sept. 1, 2012, I had moved from our home of 39 years in Oklahoma, without my husband coming with me, to North Carolina. It was a decision that both my husband and I talked out and was in agreement. Our house would sell within 2-3 months…possibly up to 6 months, and I would return there to pack up the belongings and move him with them, to NC. We decided we could manage that by flying back and forth every month to see each other for a week at a time. That got old fast! And expensive! It soon became two months  between visits. In the end, our house took a full year to sell.

• The business was harder to get off the ground than I expected. Others have told me how well they thought it was doing, but I came from my established business that kept me busy from early mornings to late (sometimes very late) nights. I found myself with virtually nothing to do, in an unfamiliar city where no one knew me.

• I had left friends in Oklahoma...and a church (LifeGate) that my husband and I began building from the ground up, along side two very good friends that had to opt out early, because of health reasons. With start-up help from our church family in Claremore, OK. (DestinyLife), extra funding by way of a large donation from Fellowship of Christians, in Miami, OK, and another from an individual that had become part of our church, we began that leg of our journey. It was a very exciting and rewarding, yet physically draining, time in our lives. And that's another story.

• Soon after the move to NC, I tried connecting to a small group from the church we had chosen to become a part of (Hope Community), but it just never gelled. It was a little strange trying to "fit in" without my husband. Our oldest daughter and her husband became concerned, with just cause, even though I denied having problems, and said I was fine. I think I did know, however, that it wouldn't always be this way. At least I hoped.

My health, and the way I perceived myself, became a problem when I allowed myself to indulge in comfort foods.

Below, is the journal of finding my way back. There may be too much information for some. So, be aware of that. Wanting to keep everything built on truth, I was keeping tract of EVERYTHING, for my own remembrance and so the Metabolic Research Center could follow what I was doing so they could better serve my needs. The only thing you won't find in this journal is my food intake. That's another story, as well. These are my thoughts (and results) along this particular path. Hopefully, there will be someone that feels they have also gotten side-tracked, and will be encouraged to take charge of their life.

MY WEIGHT LOSS JOURNEY

BEGINNING DATE:  August 11, 2014                                        BEGINNING WEIGHT:  191 lbs.

COST OF PROGRAM: SUPER SLIM WEIGHT LOSS W/HCG:   $440.00 for 40 days

BLOOD WORK:  $50.00

HEALTHY WOMAN MULTI-VITAMINS:  $15.48

INITIAL START UP SUPPLIMENTS:  $99.23

AUGUST 12-19: Pre-Conditioning Week…(High Fat Diet) What the body will use as it adjusts to survival mode. Then the body will go into ketosis, believing it's starving, and will begin to use the excess fat that makes me walk heavy and breathe hard.

AUGUST 19: Weigh-In day…Tuesday, at 187.5 lbs. Hey! I lost 3.5 pounds on the high fat diet!

AUGUST 20: Wednesday…BEGINNING DATE FOR HCG Prescription (keeps me from getting hungry and caving in to possible cravings.     
Weight: 186 lbs.

 AUGUST 25:  Weigh In

 Weight: 184 lbs. Down 3.5 lbs. from start of program. Whoop!!!

AUGUST 26: Verrryyy sick! Now that all the fat has been taken out of my diet, it seems my intestines are rebelling. Nothing is moving.  Somehow the constipation caused the urine to be blocked off as well. Had to reschedule my clients to another evening. I laid around, mostly, during the day…rubbing my tummy and using a soap and hot water enema. Finally at 8 p.m. things took a turn and all pipes were flushed. Wooooo!!! Geez, it feels so great to empty out. Once again I feel alive…at last.

            Only took in 380 calories this day…

AUGUST 27: Holy Moly! I lost 3 freekin’ pounds yesterday!!! (wonder why) :-D
Shaky today and a bit weak.

AUGUST 28: Gaining a little more strength now, but only took in 535.5 calories. Can’t seem to get all the veggies my diet asks for into my tummy. Must learn more how to be creative with this area.

AUGUST 29: Weigh In Day…182 lbs. Water retention…must cut back on sodium intake.

AUGUST 30: Added Lemon Zinger Tea to my morning to help with constipation issues. AND, eating 5.4 oz. of apple instead of the other fruit choices I have. I miss my blueberries and walnuts. And occasionally I’ll daydream about chocolate cupcakes, cookies, Pumpkin Spice Latte’s, and cake pops. Wink, wink..                                                                                                                                             

AUGUST 31: Meghan’s Wedding Shower Day! I had such a great time organizing this and preparing activities, drinks, and some of the food. Lindsey helped with the food, taking a lot of stress off me. It was a huge success with Blackberry Bourbon Iced Tea, Sweet Tea, and filtered water that was infused with cinnamon sticks and apple slices. Sides of Hard Candy on a Stick, fresh blackberries, and mint leaves were sides to flavor the drinks. My favorite treat (cakes pops), were standing in a rectangle block that was burlap covered, and beckoned all to taste. The table was filled with fruit, energy bites, mixed berry pie, rolled meat and cheese, and gourmet crackers with various types of cheese. Even though I couldn’t put any of it in my mouth, everyone else could. All this, and I wasn't tempted to partake, not even a little bit. I did indulge in the apple and cinnamon water. Yummy. My mind has embraced weight loss…

           Memo: Only took in 370 calories this day. Must do better…

SEPTEMBER 1: Weigh In Day…180 lbs. Down another 2 pounds.

SEPTEMBER 2: Feeling much better with the “flushing” issue. My daily apple helps, I think. Maybe my body is finally adjusting to the lack of sugars, carbs, and milk. I drink what seems to be a ton of water and am faithful to drink all protein supplements they recommend.

SEPTEMBER 3: I am beginning to feel very comfortable in my clothes. I no longer have to adjust my shirt (because of fatty deposits under my arm and ON my arm).  My belt now has to be latched 2 holes down. I’m in the last hole of the belt. I guess I’ll be purchasing a new one shortly…

SEPTEMBER 4: Finally getting this calorie thing down. I was able to take in 700 calories today. The most allowed on this particular, aggressive weight loss diet, is 750. Of which all is needed to maintain health.

SEPTEMBER 5: Weigh In Day…179.5 lbs.  Down 11 pounds from the beginning of this journey! Today, measurements were taken to see how many inches have disappeared. OMG!!! 11.5 total INCHES!!! Now that, my friends, is encouragement at it’s best! It’s no wonder I’m feeling so great.

SEPTEMBER 8: Down another 2 pounds since the last weigh-in. The scales are tipping at 177.6 on this beautiful, rainy morning. When I think about where I started (191 lbs.), I am blown away.  I think we’ll celebrate by going to Lowe’s and purchasing a portion of fence for our Jasmine bush to climb on. YAY!!!

SEPTEMBER 9: Today, I noticed I had ran out of buckle holes in my belt and that the belt no longer secured my jeans in a dedicated manner. Another moment of encouragement! It seems I have slowed down somewhat in my weight loss however. Up until now, the weight has been coming off at 1 pound per day, and has slowed to only ½ pound per day. Oh well, I’ll take what I can get. My bowels have not moved for 3 days now…so I suppose it is Ducolax time even though my body isn’t urging me to get to the bathroom. Hmmmm….maybe it’s using everything I’m putting in it (which isn’t much)! This diet is a 750 calorie per day diet. Yet the most calorie intake I've been getting is around 550-650 calories.

SEPTEMBER 10:  Yay for bowel movements! It puts a whole new perspective on the day. ;) Down to 176.6 pounds.

Memo: 
An interesting thing happened tonight. Dennis brought home some snacks for our small group meeting. Of course, it would be some of my favorite things. Crazy…I wasn’t tempted at all. I looked at them and thought, “You look sooooo good!” After everyone was gone, I sacked up the remaining cookies, placed them in a zip lock bag and tossed them into the cupboard. The great thing about this little event was that I truly wasn’t tempted. Sure, I acknowledged the memory I had of them, but I was on a mission and couldn’t be lured. YAY!!!

SEPTEMBER 11: It’s been one month ago that I began this journey, and I find myself feeling soooo much better than when it began. Not that I was sickly, or without energy, but looking back I can now see that I have so much MORE energy than previously. I can move faster, get out of the car more quickly, walk without having to stop to catch my breath, and have noticed that things sitting on tables don’t rattle any longer (simply because of the vibration I caused on the floor supports), when I pass by. One thing that troubles me a bit though, is for the last three days, I’ve lost only .2 lbs. That’s less than ¼ of a pound in THREE days!!! Not sure what is happening…I’ll speak to Lauren at Metabolic tomorrow, at weigh in.  Standing at 176.4 lbs. this morning.

SEPTEMBER 12: I love that my chin is disappearing! I still have a ways to go, but the hard, round fullness, is almost completely gone. When I touch the underneath side of my chin, it feels almost normal!!! Woooo!!!!
WEIGH IN DAY:  175.5 lbs. Down 16 pounds from when this journey began!

SEPTEMBER 14:  Metabolic Clinic tells me not to trust my home scales. I hope they are right, because, according to it, I have gained 1.2 pounds in the last two days. I stick closely to the diet with the only variation being the amount of vegetables I am able to consume. It’s always much less than what is allotted.  Hoping the professional scales will tell a different story next Tuesday, at weigh-in. I’m loving how my clothes feel so comfortable on me now. I’m never in a hurry to shed them, and get into something more comfortable, when I get home from work. THEY are comfortable. YAY!!!

            Only 16 days to go on my 40 day HCG Weight Loss Program!!!

SEPTEMBER 15: Today, while in the shower, I noticed that now, I not only can see my toes, but my feet, and KNEES as well! Shzaam!!! It’s been a while since that was a possibility.

SEPTEMBER 16: WHAT??!!! I GAINED 1 pound in the last 4 days. What the heck??? I never get my full 750 calories, I stick to the guidelines, like bees to honey, and I’ve gone from losing a full pound per day to ½ a pound per day, and NOW…I’m GAINING IT BACK???? How in the world can that happen when there has been no variation? Wait…I started using the water it takes to mix my supplement drinks, as part of the 64 oz. I’m suppose to consume per day. Surely that cannot be the reason…

            Today was Weigh-In Day…176.5   Geez…

SEPTEMBER 17: Okay…this must end! I have gained another .4lbs.  WHAT???!!! Must take control…but how? So, I’m adding back in my exercises even though I’m not supposed to exercise on this HCG aggressive diet. But, I am NOT gaining back the weight I’ve lost!!!

SEPTEMBER 18: Okay…that’s a little better! I took a Ducolax last night because it had been 3 days since a bowel movement. Put me down 1 ½ pounds. Geez…

Memo: So, today. After seeing those cookies day after day, in the cupboard, I decided to test myself. Just to confirm my determined spirit. Open the bag, Mary…Okay, I’m good. I lift one cookie out of the bag. Touch and press for freshness, smell (nothing there). As I peer at what used to immediately go from bag to mouth, I speak to it. “Hey! I remember you!!! I remember how you taste.” And without warning, the next thing that comes from my vocal chords is, “And I remember what you did to me.” Whaaaatttt???

SEPTEMBER 19: Weigh In Day: 174.5 lbs. Sure does seem to be slow going these days. At first I was losing a pound a day, now I’ve slowed down and don’t think it will be possible to lose the target weight of 155. Maybe I can reach 165, if I work hard. Even though I feel really good and really small, I still have a bit of a tummy. Nothing as big as at the starting line, but I still want to see that virtually gone by the wedding date of October 29. Can I do it? Hmmmm….  

Weight lost, to date: 17 pounds (down from 191.5)

SEPTEMBER 20: Had to go into the decorative workings on my belt, to hold my pants up. No more notches left. Refusing to purchase smaller clothes until I reach my desired weight. This could get ugly.

SEPTEMBER 21: Having a hard time getting my full 64 ounces of water down. Gotta do better. I’m on the last leg of the HCG program. Weight: 173.6 

SEPTEMBER 22: As great as Tilapia and Chicken Breasts are (when grilled with spices), I’m really getting a little weary of them EVERY day!!!  Down another pound!

SEPTEMBER 23: I’ll be so happy when fats are reintroduced back into my body. This constipation thing has got to go! Haha…literally. Only five more days to go!!! Woo-hoo!!! Weigh In Day: 173

SEPTEMBER 26: I now can see ALL of my legs, while showering, completely up to and including the lower portion of my tummy! Geez…I had forgotten how they looked. AND, I noticed how easy it is to clip my toenails this morning. There’s not much fat around my waist and tummy now…bending is so easy! I LOVE THAT!!!

Ready to begin the 3 week Transition Diet, where calories are slowly added back to the diet with adjustments in quantity AND quality!

Something I've noticed…it's expensive to eat whole foods. Processed (anything in a box or can) foods are way cheeper…AND you have to make more trips to the market when eating whole foods, because they are without preservatives and will spoil in a short amount of time. But, hey! As long as it's possible, this will now be my life. It reminds me of the journey through the wilderness where God had Moses lead the Israelites out of bondage under an aggressive and demanding king. During their trek to the Promised Land (an 11 day journey that took them 40 YEARS to make), God supplied their food (Mana from Heaven), that had to be gathered every day. If they tried to collect more to last several days, it spoiled. I do think I've been led out of bondage of demanding foods (addictive), into the Promised Land of all things healthy and good. Should you decide to take this journey, expect the food that's good for the health of your body, to not have a long shelf life. I'm convinced that the stuff we purchase off of grocery market shelves is what causes cancer cells to form. The ingredients used to keep food for long periods of time, also threatens our immune systems, and causes renegade cells to break loose from their positions connected to other cells (another spiritual window)…and then become cancerous.

Such a spiritual journey we are on and most are not even aware of it.


Memo to self: Never go back to excessive weight gain!!! Watch the scales and adjust lifestyle as necessary.

50 DAY TOTAL POUNDS LOSS: 31

TOTAL INCHES LOST: 32

FINAL WEIGHT: 160

 MEMO:

I’ll continue eating healthy and try to lose another 5 pounds on the 1,200 calorie diet, then maintain at 1,340 calories per day. It’s all about moderation in all things and staying away from sugars that not only cause fat storage, but also affect major organs in our wonderfully created body.

THINGS TO REMEMBER:

Remember what caused the weight gain, the shortness of breath, the depression and consequential lack of self-esteem.

Remember that my body was created to repair itself, but after having to fight the enemy (SUGAR) 24/7, as it spurs renegade cells to form and shuts down healthy organ tissue, my body will cease to function at it’s greatest potential.

I’ve never felt better! Given a new lease on life (physically, mentally, and spiritually), I’m thinking more clearly, am more confident, and much happier. NOW…maybe I can get back on the journey God intended for me.

DISCLAMER:

I realize not everyone travels the same road. I realize being large is not a problem for some. I realize this is MY journey, and God created me from my mother’s womb to be in control of the gift of life He gave me. I realize I was placed on a farm to form the very things God wanted me to understand, and with that came a healthy life style. I realize not everyone shares the same scenario and cannot be held to my ideals. But for me, I was MISERABLE…mentally, physically, spiritually.

Whoever reads this calendar of events that surrounded my life from August 11, 2014, until October 24, 2014 (includes the 3 week transition time), and drools over the possibilities that could be theirs, please be encouraged! If this sugar-addicted girl can do this, anyone can! I was accustomed to eating at least 1 cupcake per day (many days it was 2…sometimes 3). I would go to bed with one in hand. But that wasn’t what began the fatty deposits inside my body. It was the Trail Mix that I would purchase and eat by the half-bag full, AFTER eating my chocolate cupcakes. I stored it in my upstairs bedroom, indulging every evening while sitting (yes, I did a LOT of that), and watching TV for endless hours. Those were the days before Dennis made it to North Carolina. Even though I lived with our oldest daughter and her husband, I felt very alone. Not because they didn’t try to get me involved. I just wanted to be left alone. The business was slow getting off the ground, and I became very discouraged, thinking I may have outlived my usefulness. Thinking I would never make it in this environment that was so very different from where I came from. And HOW LONG is it going to take for our Oklahoma house to SELL??? I truly needed my husband here with me.

I’m grateful to begin a new chapter in my life, but am also very grateful for the lessons this weight loss journey has taught me.

MILESTONES:

1            1) I noticed how easy it was for me to cross my legs, on Sunday, August 24^th.

NOTE: I hadn’t been able to do this simple action for a very long time.  I’m not sure when this began to happen, but remember being surprised when it was effortless to do so.

        2) Down 2 belt holes! Wednesday, September 3, 2014

        3) Last hole on my extra large belt is now loose enough to put 2 fingers between it and my jeans. Thursday, September 11, 2014. Loved crossing my legs with such ease, at small group meeting, as if it were a natural thing.

        4) Walking distances has become easy…no breathing problems.

        5) Double chin becoming smaller.

        6) Can see my knees and toes while taking a shower! Noticed for the first time, Sept. 12.

        7) Exercise feels GREAT! 

        8) Desire for bad snacks disappears.

        9) My husband says I look good in my boots.

      10) Confidence level escalates.

      11) Age becomes only a number again.

      12) Snoring decreases drastically!

      13) Need a new wardrobe!!! My clothes hang way too large on me.

IF you made it through this long post, I am super duper proud of you! Hopefully you've been inspired to get back the life you began with so that life as we know it, may be extended to you, with health!

Remember…should you look for me, you'll find me here, in Mary's World!