In Defense of Sadie

I have never read the comic "Li'l Abner".  Nor did I know that Leap Day (today) is also considered Sadie Hawkins Day.  And, I didn't even really know who Sadie Hawkins was.  I was vaguely aware of a Sadie Hawkins Dance, though I am not sure I knew that girls were supposed to ask the boys.  But, I love to research and while looking up information about Leap Day I learned about Sadie Hawkins.  So, for those who are like me and just have a vague memory of Sadie Hawkins, I have included the following from a website (which you can link to by clicking on Sadie's picture):

SADIE HAWKINS DAY, an American folk event, made its debut in Al Capp's "Li'l Abner" strip November 15, 1937. Sadie Hawkins was "the homeliest gal in the hills" who grew tired of waiting for the fellows to come a courtin'. Her father, Hekzebiah Hawkins, a prominent resident of Dogpatch, was even more worried about Sadie living at home for the rest of his life, so he decreed the first annual Sadie Hawkins Day, a foot race in which all the unmarried women pursued the town's bachelors, with matrimony the consequence.

"Matrimony the consequence." That stopped me in the tracks.  A belief that the 'homeliest gal in the hills' could only find herself a man by capturing him doesn't really sit well with me.  However, I want to be clear, I am aware that this comic started in 1937 and things have changed...a bit. 

There are still plenty of Sadies in our day.  I have a feeling one girl or woman has considered herself or been treated like poor Sadie at one point or another.  I know I have.  So, I want Sadie Hawkins Day to be redefined. 

Today, let's celebrate the advances women have made in America and keep our focus on advocating for women in countries where they are still treated as second class citizens.  Let's recognize all of the girls and women in our lives who look in the mirror and see Sadie staring back at them and say, "You are beautiful."  Let's not be silent when we learn about the human rights violations that women around the world are subjected to everyday, only to think, "well, at least it is not us."  Let's encourage women and men to embrace the way God made them, hold their heads high, and tell them you are just who you are meant to be.  Let's make Sadie Hawkins Day a day to celebrate ourselves in all of our Sadie-ness.

Life Experiment Update: Day three has gone alright.  Last night was a bit odd.  I was trying to figure out how to relax by not watching television.  I found myself thinking of chores that I could be getting done instead.  And I did do them, and I was surprised how quickly they were finished.  But finally, I forced myself to lay on the couch with a new book.  Turns out the book is great and I can't wait to get back to it this evening.  I will figure out this whole relaxing thing yet!

A Lost Art?

How often do you eat your meals at the kitchen table?  Do you do it more now than when you were young?  Or less?  Is eating meals at the kitchen table becoming a lost art?

I think the answer is yes.  When I was growing up (and mind you I am not all that old) we ate just about every single dinner as a family at the kitchen table.  And more often than not, my mother and I would have breakfast together at the kitchen table.  At least in my childhood home, there was no eating in the living room or on the run. 

I was thinking about those "oldin' days" not too long ago.  I never thought it odd or special that we would eat as a family, it is just what we did.  But it seems to me the importance of gathering around a table and sharing a meal with people you love is no longer a priority.  I have some very fond memories of eating a meal with loved ones, and they all happened around tables.

Like I said, my parents and I would eat just about every single dinner together.  We are not big talkers and all fast eaters, so typically our meals were less than 10 minutes, but we were still together.  And when I think of the fact that my mother would sit down and eat breakfast with me when we always seemed to be rushing to get to where we needed to be is almost miraculous.  Some of my best memories from seminary is gathering with my closest friends on Monday night for dinner.  It was often a 'Stone Soup' meal, with everyone bringing different pieces and it always seemed like we had a feast.  We laughed and shared our brilliant insights.  I miss those meals.

But, now that I live alone, I have fallen into the habit of mindlessly eating in front of the television.  It is so mindless that I am often not aware of what I am eating.  Even though I love to cook and I am always trying new recipes, I would never really enjoy them because I was instead focused on the T.V.  About a week ago I decided I didn't want to live like that.  When I have my own family I want to make sure we gather at the table and break bread together.  I want to slow down my life, just a little bit, by sitting at the table for my meals.

Now, its not perfect.  It does require more dishes.  I am still guilty of eating my lunch at work at my desk.  I am still a fast eater, though I am trying to slow down.  But, most importantly, I am trying to reclaim an important American tradition of eating a meal while sitting down and making sure I am grateful for each bite.

Life Experiment Update: Day two of my life experiment to keep the television off has gone well so far.  I did sit rather idly this morning while drinking my coffee until I decided it was okay to get my computer out and look at the news.  I have learned the little alarm clock radio in my kitchen used to bring NPR into my life tends to struggle differentiating NPR and some sort of alternative rock station, so it can be a mix of insightful talk and screaming obscenities.  And with 'weather' approaching on Thursday (when I will have to drive more than my typical 2 miles to work) I am struggling to figure out how to get an accurate forecast.  But, on the upside, I am thrilled not to be plugged into the presidential race for a little while!

Tomorrow I will share my thoughts on Sadie Hawkins Day and just what exactly it means for today.

Life Experiment I: One Week Without T.V.

Last Friday I told you I was asked to keep a TV viewing journal for the Nielsen company.  First let me say this, I have no idea how I got signed up for it.  All I know is I got a one page survey in the mail which included two $1 bills.  It asked me to fill out the survey.  It included a postage paid envelope.  I was getting $2 (just 19 cents short of a grande black coffee).  It took all of 1 minute.  So I did it, and enjoyed my store bought coffee the next morning, feeling as though I had earned it by doing my part.  What I did not realize is because I did a one page survey, they were going to ask me to keep a journal.  They mailed the journal and five $1 bills.  I figured it could be interesting and I don’t watch much television anyway, so it wouldn’t be hard.  And it wasn’t.  Plus, it meant more store bought coffee!

All you do is log when the television is on or off, and when on, what channel and program is being watched.  Finally, you indicate who the viewer is.  Since Boomer is not a big TV watcher, it was all me.  What I learned is that I am a creature of habit.  I watch the same things every day.  I watch the Today show on NBC for 20 minutes before work.  I watch a couple of cooking channels after work, followed by the local news and the national news, and then more cooking channels.  The TV is usually off by 8pm because I am exhausted (from getting up so early) and I want to read.  On an average work day I watched 3 hours of television (I didn’t count the TV’s I aimlessly stare at while running at the gym – my brain wasn’t even focused enough the other morning when it took me 20 minutes to realize the one I was looking at but not listening to was actually a French channel – I was very reassured I wasn’t having a stroke when I figured it out).   That equals about 12% of my day watching television.  According to Nielsen, the average American watches television for 20% of their day.  At least I wasn’t that bad.  Except on the weekends, when I would watch even more cooking shows.  And on the Monday I had off from work and was sick, I don’t want to even think about the percentage of my day staring at the television.

So, my week of recording my television viewing habits has led me to my first Life Experiment: One week without television.  What will my days be like?  Will I find I have more time or more boredom?  Do I use television to relax or procrastinate?  Will I feel less connected to the world or relieved to be cut off from the 24 hour news cycle?  What exactly will I do in the evenings when I have no other plans?  How will I make sure to relax and not fill the extra hours with a need to be productive?  It should be interesting and I will report throughout the week and share my final thoughts next Monday.

Today is day one of my Life Experiment.  The habit of watching the Today show to start my day has been a part of my life since before I can remember, as my dad always watches it.  I actually felt a little nervous when I woke up and realized my week sans TV had begun (even though I turned it off at 7pm last night – nothing good on anyway.)  I had NPR on in the kitchen to make sure I could get some sense of connection this morning.  And tonight I have a meeting at church, so I am guessing the television would not have been on anyway.  It is a good way to ease myself into this experiment.

Tomorrow I will share with you one of my new habits: always eating at the kitchen table.  I will have plenty of time now that I am not rushing to finish my dinner so I can catch the news.  See you then!

One of the Reasons I Love Maine!

I could not resist sharing this picture with you all this morning.  This is the park across the street from my apartment.  I may be itching for winter to be over, but mornings like this remind me why I love Maine!

Sharing of Joy

Come into my apartment right now, take a deep breath, and I promise a sense of comfort.  Home made banana bread is baking away in the oven.  I can't think of anything else that can draw a person's mind to their mother/grandmother's kitchen than the smell of something wonderful baking in the oven.  The picture for this post is a glorious mess.  Putting together ingredients to create something which brings joy is therapeutic for me.  What makes this even more special is I am baking this bread to share with others.

Most people know that I am intentionally loosing weight.  So, I don't do a bunch of baking anymore.  Before, when I didn't care about what I was putting in my mouth, I had no qualms about baking a pie and eating it myself.  Or cookies.  Or brownies.  Or whatever.  But, I have put a lot of energy and focus into knowing exactly what I am eating and making choices that are healthy and fulfilling.  This doesn't mean I can't bake wonderful things, but I know my personality.  If it is in the house, I will eat it.  I stopped baking.

However, as my body is going through this transformation, I have been thinking about ways to be as conscious about other aspects of my life as I am about what I eat.  I have been thinking a lot about what makes me happy.  Writing makes me happy, which is why I have recommitted myself to this blog.  And I can't deny the fact that baking makes me happy.  But how could I bake and still care for my body?  The answer came to me in a recent Deacon meeting at church (of all places - who knew that committee meetings could actually cause creative thought?).  We were planning a Saturday morning Lenten spiritual discussion series.  So, every Saturday morning in Lent, I have committed to bringing some sweet treat to share.  I can bake again, and share it with others.

Which made me realize I love baking even more when I can share what I create.  That is why I think I love to blog.  Writing makes me happy, yes, but this way I can share it with others.  And by making something from my heart, something that brings me joy, and then sharing it with people I care about, I am expanding that joy.

This may seem like a pretty obvious correlation to some, but for me, it has really opened my eyes.  As a committed introvert, my mind doesn't instantly go to sharing and engaging with others.  I realized I can do things that make me happy, caring for my health, baking something that makes the apartment smell amazing, and sharing all of this joy with people I love.  Why deny happiness?  I will not anymore.

Sure, I won't be baking things full of sugar or fat.  Tonight's banana bread for instance, has whole wheat flour and just 1/2 cup of light brown sugar.  But, it has FIVE bananas!  If it tastes half as good as it smells, then it will surely be a winner.

I hope that you too can find things that make you happy and then share them with others.  They take a lot of time?  Who cares.  You deserve to be happy and those around you will be happier because of it.  So, make some banana bread, bake some cookies, or whip up a pie and sit down to a lovely meal with people you care about.  I can't think of a better way to spend your weekend.

Well, five posts in one week!  As I said, making time for writing and sharing it with others has increased my happiness, so I have no intention of stopping!  I already have my 'blog calendar' mapped out for the next month.  I will be taking the weekend off, but will be back on Monday.  Next week I will introduce two new features which will have a regular appearance on my blog: Random Life Experiments and Old Fashioned Book Reports.  And on Monday, come back to read about my week as an official Nielson TV Ratings journal keeper.  That should keep your mind active, as you consider the fact that my particular tv watching habits (refer to yesterday's post) will be used to determine tv listings in the future!

Food for Thought

What a day!  Starting with a page at 8am to minister to a family and nursing staff after a sudden and tragic death and not stopping all day, I was ready to head home.  And because I am on call this week, I am constantly aware of the possibility that I will be called back to the hospital at any time.  After a day like today, all I want to do is relax.  And my preferred way of doing so is by watching cooking shows.  Lots of them.

I am not entirely sure when my addiction with cooking shows began, but slowly and surely I became hooked.  I remember while I was seminary I would set my t.v. to turn itself on at 8am on Saturday mornings so I could begin watching cooking shows.  This was, obviously, before I became a more virtuous person, as 8am is well into the day for me now.  Even on Saturdays now, when I don't have to get up, I am still usually walking the dog by 6:30am.  The other day I was thinking, "When did I become this person, someone for whom sleeping in is still getting up before 7am?"  Sigh.

Anyway, back to my addiction.  Nothing pleases me more than to lay on the couch and watch cooking shows.  And as a vegetarian trying to loose weight, 90% of the shows are not relevant.  But I don't care.  I will happily watch someone de-bone a chicken or bake something with 2 sticks of butter.  I stare in rapt attention as they make "no-bean just meat chili" or watch as another wraps bacon around chunks of mac and cheese and then deep-fat fries it.  But, WHEN they do show a health conscious vegetarian meal, stand back!  It's like I hit the jack-pot, hole in one, and home run all in one day (which would be quite a feat, since I don't gamble, play golf or baseball - though that would still probably be a really good day).  I watch the show, slowly savoring each moment, think to myself, "okay, yep I could do that.  WAIT, go back!  I missed a step.  Oh, there we go, sure that makes sense" (alright, I said 'think' to myself, but periodically I may say these things out loud, a side effect of living only with a dog).

What is it that is so great about these cooking shows for me?  I think it is because I get to live vicariously through the cooks.  My current life style makes me really aware of what I eat, so my fat, salt, and carbohydrate intake is significantly reduced.  I look and feel much better, but I still long for those days when I too could cook like the t.v. professionals.  I recently watched one of them make a cheese cake whose layers went like this: chocolate cookie crumble crust, caramel, chocolate-chip cookie dough, fatty cheese cake, and chocolate ganache.  Yep, I memorized it.  And I still think about it.  A lot.

But these shows are for entertainment and I don't feel bad about my limited diet.  I feel good knowing I am making healthy choices.  And, contrary to popular belief, I don't feel hungry while watching these shows.  It satisfies me instead.  No drama, no sexism, no politics, just the universal necessity of food.  And the artistry of these cooks is amazing.  With two (two!!) different cooking channels on my t.v. line-up (Food Network and The Cooking Channel) I can get my fill (pun intended) of cooking shows.  Healthy, fatty, meat-filled, and meat-free.  I can feed (again, pun intended, I have been thinking of them all day) my addiction constantly.

Give it a try.  If you have had a hard day, zone out while watching some good looking food cross your screen!  That is what I will be doing tonight.  And in that vein, come back tomorrow when I write about another passion of mine, baking sweet treats for others!

Virtues of Early Mornings

Let's start with the definition of virtue: "Behavior showing high moral standards; Quality seen as morally good or desirable in a person; Virginity or chastity, especially in a woman; The seventh highest order of a ninefold celestial hierarchy."

Well, that's interesting.  "The seventh highest order of a ninefold celestial hierarchy" is not something I can comment on.  I have no idea what that means, though I promise you, I am going to do some research!  It does seem like if it is 7/9 (77% or a C+) it is above average in the celestial hierarchy.  That has to be good, right? 

And as far as "virginity or chastity, especially in women"?  I am not really sure what to do with that either.  I fought the urge to yell at the dictionary app on my computer, or to try and write a letter of protest to the dictionary app people (if you don't know me, FYI...I am a raging feminist liberal and this type of thing does not jive well with me).

So, in an effort to not get into a political discussion about the continuing subjugation of women and their 'value' as seen by society (a later post, I can guarantee it!), we should move back to the subject of this post: Early Mornings.

I love to get up early.  I love how I feel when I start my day early.  The above picture?  That is from this morning when my alarm went off at 4:50am.  Oh, you should have seen Boomer!  I had to get my mind into motion to take the picture, so my alarm went off for a good 30 seconds as opposed to the typical 2.  Boomer started to howl.  I kid you not.  It was like he was saying, "you may think that getting up early is virtuous, but I sure as hell don't, so shut that thing off!"  So, besides the fact you start to interpret your dog's howls as complete sentences and then to fulfill their requests, which I did by turning of the alarm and apologizing, getting up in the morning is rather good.

First off, it catapults you into rock star status.  Tell anyone that you got up at 4:50am to ______ (fill in the blank) people will raise their eyebrows in amazement.  "You got up how early?  That is incredible."  And for me, since I get up that early in order to run before work, it's like I just told them I discovered the cure of overly cold dogs.  It's impressive.  People wish they could get up that early and be productive.  It's an instant ego boost.

But how is it virtuous?  Well, maybe if you get up early you won't be sleeping around with a bunch of men and therefore maintain that virtuous virginity that society insists women have (okay, sorry, I'll stop).  But, seriously, getting up early allows you to greet the day.  I love to "race the sun" with my early morning runs.  I wake up early to allow myself a chance to do that which is good for my body and my soul.  It starts the day off on the right note.

Of course, I can barely stay awake for anything after 8pm, which can be an issue in my social life.  And I sometimes think other people must be up early as well and start to text "Good Morning!" while they are still happily dreaming (this is particularly problematic since I now live in the Eastern time zone and those with whom I text live a whole hour behind me.  They find nothing virtuous about that behavior).  And, as already stated, I may start to hear my dog talking to me in ways that others could find disturbing.  But, for the most part, getting up early is a beautiful thing.

Give it a try.  And if you do, give me a call!  I'll be up!  And come back tomorrow when I discuss my addiction...cooking shows.

Why You Too Should Have Fresh Flowers

They are gorgeous aren't they?  I especially like the big pink one.  It has a good smell that even over powers the cumin I used three days ago when making chili (ever cook with cumin?  I do a lot, just ask my neighbors).  They go particularly well with my cheery table cloth, which I planned because I think of stuff like that.

Are they from a secret admirer?  Um, yeah right.  Are they from some grateful person for my phenomenal advice that has changed their world and created a sense of inner peace?  Nope, don't get a lot of recognition for stuff like that except an honorable mention in a patient's obituary.  No, I bought these flowers myself.  Pathetic?  Maybe.  Necessary?  Absolutely.

Here is my prescription for easy happiness: buy some fresh flowers for yourself.  It turns that money can buy happiness...in the form of flowers.  I dare you to get some fresh, lovely flowers, put them in your eye-line and not feel somewhat happier.  What is this magical Flower Power? (oh goodness, sometimes I crack myself up with clever turns of a phrase like that!)  Here are my thoughts:
         
1.) They Smell Good.  I already commented on their ability to cover up the unique olfactory properties of three day old cumin cooking smell.  This power can create happiness because you don't have to clean quite so much, just buy flowers instead of scrubbing the stove.

2.) They Are Pretty.  This is fairly obvious, at least I hope so.  I guess I have seen some ugly flowers.   But rarely do they sell those in florist shops.  So, if you get the inkling to buy yourself some fresh flowers after reading this post and absorbing my phenomenal advice that has changed your world and created a sense of inner peace, you can count on the fact the general consensus is they will be pretty.  (And, I should add on a purely selfish note, if you do buy some fresh flowers for the above reason, don't forget the honorable mention in your obituary, that sort of stuff really makes my day.)

3.)  Pure Indulgence.  Okay, let me get a bit preachy hear (force of habit).  I don't think people do enough for the simple reason of indulgence.  We deserve to do nice things for ourselves.  No need to wait for a some sort of reward, if you are a generally decent human being these days, that is doing plenty to earn your fresh flowers.  On a side-note, I am currently working on figuring out how to preach the Gospel of Selfishness, which I think may relate here, though I am not sure how, since I am still figuring it out.  If you can figure it out, let me know.  I have been working on it long time, seriously, a long time.

4.) You Can Pretend They Are From Someone Else.  Invite over an acquaintance, maybe that neighbor who likes to show of their new snow-blower (Good Lord, I have lived in Maine too long since that was the first example of 'showing off' I could think of.)  Have them over for coffee, with your lovely new flowers displayed casually on your kitchen table.  People always ask who you got the flowers from, since they have yet to read the above advice and have their world rocked by me.  You can tell them anything.  Like: "Oh, well, his celebrity status makes it inappropriate for me to say." or "Who can keep track?!?  I get so many!"  This could potentially be fun, though highly dishonest.  Oh well.

Alright, there are my reasons everyone should buy themselves some fresh flowers.  Stay tuned tomorrow as I discuss the virtues of getting up early (that is if I can stay awake long enough to write about it tomorrow evening).

My Thrill? Setting Goals

Not particularly sexy I know.  If I was one of the 'cool kids', my thrills would be climbing a mountain, running without shoes (a new trend, I'm told), eating odd food, or not paying my bills nearly two weeks early.  Those would be thrills which would keep me on the top of cocktail party invite lists all of the time.  No, my thrill is setting a goal. 

For fun, I Googled 'goal setting.'  Give it a try.  This is clearly a search that has been done before because the websites that come up are both appropriate to the topic and helpful.  Now try Googling "how to convince your dog he is actually warm enough."  Those sites are not so helpful.  Apparently my dog is unique in that he believes he is cold all of the time, even when he is under four layers of fleece.  But I digress.

Further research about goal setting and, even more importantly, following through on goals, was sobering.   Quirkology.com followed 3000 people who set goals at the beginning of 2007.  52% were confident they would be successful.  But one year later, only 12% achieved their goal.  (Read the article at the following link: http://www.quirkology.com/UK/Experiment_resolution.shtml)

Hmmm, at least I don't feel so bad.  My thrill may be setting a goal, but my bore?  Following through on my goals.  So, even though I have unique cold dog problems, I seem to fall well within the average of goals.

However, I am not a fan of being average.  What's more, I certainly don't like being told that I might as well not try because I will not succeed.  I already fall outside the lines with the cold dog and goal setting thrills, so I wonder how I would feel if I was one of the 12% who actually succeeded on a goal.  That is what I am setting out for now.

For my loyal readers (my parents and grandmother) you know that it has been a couple of years since I have updated my blog.  Why?  Who knows.  I received good feedback (always a plus for someone trying to reach a goal) and I enjoy writing.  But, the thrill wore off.  I set the goal of writing a blog but then instantly began to bore while trying to follow through.  But, I am a different person now.  I wonder what kind of thrill it is to accomplish a goal?  That has to be a rush, right?  I have been loosing weight and my goal is well within reach.  I wanted to become a runner, and lo and behold, I am a runner.  So, why can't I become a writer?  And not just writing incredibly pithy and well thought out patient chart notes (I have a loyal following for those as well).  I can be a blogger.  Set a goal, work through the boredom of accomplishing it, and feel the rush of achievement.

So, I ask my followers (yep, that's you mom, dad, and grandma!) to keep me accountable.  Here is my plan: I will post an entry 5 times a week.  I can't promise a theme or that they will always have ground-breaking Google search results, but I promise to keep them real and interesting. 

Stay tuned for tomorrow as I share my thoughts on why everyone should have fresh flowers in their home!