a call for end of fat shaming

Watching Death becomes her, they show Goldie Hawn's character go through depression and gain weight eating icing out of a container with a whole cupboard. 

I know I struggle with my relationship with food. But I am not a binge eater, my portions may be bigger than recommended by a doctor. I love food, love tasting things, trying yummy things, and most recently cooking and baking with joy and love of it. 

Why are we shamed? Why am I fat and not that girl? I would say partially genetics, partially my love of food. And I could double my mile walk to two. 

So why are chubby, chunky, fat, big-boned, or my favorite Thick people portrayed as gluttons or animalistic even . I could live with thick. In a time of letting prejudices of all types go, we need to evaluate every judgement we make and why.

Lets get uncomfortable:I failed. Confessions of a Lazy Perfectionist

My brain requires me to feel like I am constantly getting better even the most miniscule amount every day. I thrive when I am learning and growing. It fills me with joy and makes me feel like I am alive. I appreciate every breath, step, sight like with eyes of a vampire when I am learning and growing mode.

But one area of my life I have not grown in until recently was being uncomfortable. I am looking for data for comfort levels and procrastination, so pretend I share some great data right here. I believe procrastination or stagnation in life or daily routines come more from our desire to not be uncomfortable. We want our bodies to feel at ease, we want the easiest route to the desired outcome but  in our desires to not be uncomfortable at all, we have lost something. I don't know if its fear of the unknown, fear of pain, lack of will of our ancestors, to move forward and conquer the unknown.

Moving over 900 miles away from my family is uncomfortable, not seeing my daughter every day is uncomfortable, missing daily interactions with my Suge (first and only grandchild, only mildly bragging) is uncomfortable. But stepping through my comfort zone and proving to myself that I can be and see the world, makes it Uncomfortably wonderous for my soul.

I believe our limited radius of modus operandi creates ignorance. You don't know what you don't know.  Watching a Youtube video doesn't make you WOKE.  But a true change of heart comes from seeing someone else as equal as a person despite what pre-judgments we may have.  I am expanding my M.O. to a new city, new animals and bugs, new plants, new people, new languages.

So, what makes you uncomfortable?

COVID has brought out our best and worst traits. We can grow and learn more from the worst of ourselves more than the best.

My scale has not seen a healthy weight recently because I love food. I find joy in cooking, learning a new skill in the kitchen, and I have begun recipes that I always thought I could not possibly do. That's for those chefs over there but not me. And I have been working very specifically on this. I have made a risotto that would have made Gordon Ramsey not chuck it in the trash.  I have grilled steaks, pork, and chicken. And no one died or got sick from under or overcooking.

I also cannot lose weight because I cannot get enough worthwhile exercise. Exercise is uncomfortable, it hurts the joints, struggle to breathe, muscle ache for days, sweaty, I don't have the right shoes, I blah, blah, blah, insert any millions of reasons why. Time has been in abundance since March to work out more. I used the excuse 'the stores were sold out of weights'. Therefore it's not my fault that I have not been getting my arms in shape.
The truth is uncomfortable, I chose not to grab a gallon of water or cans of veggies to add a little weight to my exercises. (Found one 4lb weight and a 5lb ball, #fivebelowemergency. So every time I get fidgety, I do two sets of 15 reps.) If I don't want cottage cheese underarms from hell, I gotta move them more.

Quote by Mahatma Gandhi: “Be the change that you wish to see..."

Change is uncomfortable, Growth is uncomfortable, Love is uncomfortable.

Let's make the world a little more uncomfortable. 

Pickled, a Covid Story

We have all fallen for the Facebook virus known as I'm hungry I will save this post and make it... later. When a Facebook friend in another state posted a pickle pic and I thought to myself. I've never done anything like pickles or canning. It seemed like an old lady in the country with nothing else to do OR a doomsday prepper who can feed the nation with the amount of Mason Jars in their bunkers.
Then my son mentioned he watched a youtube video for pickles, inspired by Pickle Rick.

My son and I have made a few batches so far. Round 1, spicy dill recipe I found here. I have been buying most of our veggies from Aldi and Publix.

I tweaked this recipe with fresh Jalapenos. the heat of my first batch left a little afterburn but was even better as a relish in deviled eggs and chicken salad.

Round 2, Grandma's Bread and Butter recipe;
I think my attempt at Grandma's Bread and Butter pickles were an epic fail. But I will let them sit for a bit longer. Its a learning process.


So when I finished my first jar, I returned to my first recipe because I loved them. Do you make pickles at home? Pickle any other veggies? I love to learn from others!! Drop your recipes in the comments!!

Dream of moving out of Ohio, CHECK

A sticky foot frog climbs up the back sliding glass door of my new home in Tampa, Florida. He is lime green and has an iridescence to his eyes like sparkle or glitter. Even the frogs are cooler here than in Ohio. Every morning I wake up to bird songs like I have only experienced in a movie or a bad meditation track. I still get giddy every time I see a little lizard or gecko running across the fence between the palm trees swaying like a lullaby.

 I have dreamt of leaving Ohio since I was in college. Antioch College gave me the gift of living in Atlanta and Boston during my co-ops and they were some of the most amazing parts of my life. I loved the noise of the city and hopping on a train or bus and see any part of the city. I loved and love the diversity of big cities and the enrichment of my soul to be exposed to more of this world. We have learned during this pandemic that we are all in this together. We can all grow and learn by exposing ourselves to things outside of our bubble.

Every day my brain is jacked by all the new information for my consumption. Learning and research have always been my passion, I feel good when my brain stretches a little more, each time I learn something I did not know before. My first trip out into the city by myself, I found the Hindu Temple of Florida on Lynn Road. It transports you to another time and place. I want to know more and have emailed and chatted with the Temple about scheduling a tour and additional information. Due to COVID and not understanding or knowing any of the beliefs and traditions of the Hindi temples, I have not been inside yet. But I have come back for a second walkabout. Trying to figure out what type of bird is nesting on the tip of the temple.

I will keep you posted when I find out more about this gem of Tampa Bay.