Getting In Shape

Monday I started an exercise program that I found in SHAPE magazine - Four Weeks to a Better Body. Here's how it works - you exercise 5 days a week - then off on the weekend. Each day focuses on different areas of your body. There are 5 days of exercises and then you start over again the 2nd week, etc etc etc. The beginning of each session has you do 20 minutes of cardio so I run in place (don't have a treadmill) and box in place. After that you have a series of exercises that focus on certain areas. Well - let me just say this - my legs are KILLING me.

Ok - let's face it - I haven't exercised in over 2 years - and honestly for about 1 1/2 years I didn't leave my chair a whole lot. It's just been the last few months that I'm doing pretty much anything I want to do and feel great so I thought it was time to start exercising.

Mornings are better for me to work out - get up - get it done!! By the end of the day - when I'm at the shop - the last thing I want to do is go home and workout. Soooooooo - that is my goal - get my butt out of bed each morning and sweat!!

I'll give you an update after 2 weeks and then perhaps after 4 weeks - with my "better body" I might even post a pic. ha ha

If there's anybody out there that wants to join me in this - you are more than welcome.

Later -

Quiet Time

The last few months I've noticed that life has been particularly frantic - of course there was Thanksgiving - then Christmas and those times pretty much are wild - no matter what we do. We run from one thing to another and somehow forget to stop and "smell the roses".

During all the cancer stuff I pretty much was down all the time - by down I mean - couldn't do anything - WANTED to do stuff - just wasn't able. Had to get my head wrapped around that and tell myself that it was ok to just sit and let my body heal - that this was my job now. Forget the shop - forget all my Ebay that was piled up in the garage - just focus on getting well. I did that - I think. It's just that lately things were getting frantic again and honestly - I don't want to live that way again.

Now don't misunderstand - don't plan to sit around all day and eat bon bons and anybody that knows me knows that I need to be busy. BUT - there's a difference in busy and in frantic. How many of you understand that? Everyone needs quiet time and I think that is something that is lacking in alot of peoples lives. It doesn't matter how you want to spend your quiet time - it could be reading the bible - praying - reading a good book - watching a movie - piddlin in the garden - watching the birds - cooking a new recipe - whatever it is that you do that calms you - everybody needs it.

This past week it snowed here and the temps stayed in the teens and lower 20's for almost 2 weeks. Consequently I couldn't open the shop because the temps were too low - no way to heat up that shop during those kinds of temps. At first it was driving me insane - not being at the shop - thinking of the business that I was probably missing and that DRIVE I have to contribute. Finally it hit me - this is Gods way of saying - slow down - you're moving too fast - take some time - soooooooo - I did!! I watched movies - picked some new recipes and cooked - read a book and listed on ebay. Now I don't consider listing on ebay "work" - it is time consuming - yes - but for me it's just plain fun. And you know what? Shouldn't have worried about business at the shop because almost all the items I listed during the week I wasn't there - SOLD on ebay soooooooo hum - quiet time was indeed productive.

In one week MIke and I are leaving for St Lucia for 12 days - I hear ya - you're saying - WELL - you're going to have quiet time THEN - yes - that's true - but Mike has not had quiet time and it will be his time to rest and refuel and for that I am very very thankful.

A New Year

It has been such a long time since I wrote on here - am going to try and do better this year.

Everything is going great with me right now - had a good visit with oncologist about 2 weeks ago - he thinks everything is going great so I feel good about that.

The holidays were good - I must say that most of the time the holidays - for me - are a bit of a strain and I don't look forward to them. Probably I put too much emphasis on the wrong things - trying to buy the perfect gifts, trying to make everything just right - instead of just enjoying the time with family and friends. This year I tried to do just that - enjoy myself.

We went to Destin this year for Thanksgiving with Sarah and Whit and his parents. Had such a nice time - very relaxed - different - but good. I wouldn't want to do it every year - missed seeing my family - but once in a while is good.

Christmas kind of stretched out this year - Sarah and Whit were here for Christmas - then they had to head to Chattanooga for Christmas with Whits family - I know it was hard for them to divide their time and hate they had to drive all over the place to be with both families but they didn't seem to mind. We just had Christmas with my side of the family and it was good - kind of nice to postpone it a bit - didn't seem like everything happened at once and then was over. Missed seeing Christopher and family any time over the holidays - wish we weren't so far apart. They plan to come to Nashville the first weekend in February and we will spend time then with them. Looking forward to that.

In two weeks Mike and I are leaving for St. Lucia for 12 days!! It can not get here fast enough. The weather has been so yucky - cold cold cold so going to where the temps are 85 everyday will be wonderful.

Hope all of you had a special holiday and that it was whatever you wanted it to be.

I promise to keep in touch -

Stephanie

Let the Showers Begin!!

FUN TIMES!! This past weekend began the first of several bridal showers for Sarah. We had two this past Saturday - one in the Ashland area and one in the Bartlett area. The one here was hosted by Cindy Farese and Nina Shoup. What a wonderful time we had - Whits parents - Janice and Bill Stiles both came to visit. Whit, Sarah and Lindsay - Sarah's roommate and MOH were here - as well. What a fun time we had - great food and great friends.

Saturday afternoon the ladies traveled to Memphis and had a shower in the Bartlett area at my brothers. Terry (my sister-in-law) hosted the shower and it was wonderful. Like going back to a reunion - people we had not seen in years - lots of Sarahs friends from school and church and many of my "teacher" friends and church friends were there - it was GREAT!!

Libby and Alyx came to both - they didn't want to miss ANY of the fun. ha ha

Missed having Mom there - she had hip replacement about 2 weeks ago and wasn't able to get down for either of the showers . She's doing great but has to do what the doctors say so that she will be in the "dancin'" mode by wedding time. Can't miss that - right?

On top of having both showers - we were so happy to have Bill and Janice visit us at the lake for the first time. It's too bad that the weather didn't cooperate. Rained the entire time so we weren't able to get out on the water to show them around the lake. Still - we had a great time with them.

Next showers are in Chattanooga in two weeks. It will be fun to meet some of Whits family and friends.

47 days and counting . . . . . . . . . . . .

Springtime

(Side note: These azaleas are over 6 feet tall and cover a HUGE area - hard to tell in the picture)

It's finally Spring - I hesitate to say it too loud - afraid I will scare it off - but yes - I do believe it may be here to stay. Ok - so the fun begins - well - at least for ME.

Last year was AWFUL - I couldn't do anything in the yard - no planting - no cleaning - no raking - no NOTHING!! I did have wonderful friends who came over and planted things FOR me - Mom and Daddy came and raked and cleaned our flower beds while I just SAT THERE watching - WISHING I could do something. The one thing that I was able to do some last year was water plants - which is good I guess because as we all know they don't do so good without water.

Now - this year I have already been hard at it - just finished cleaning out the Hosta garden - nothing really happened with it last year so it was pretty bad - now just need to put down the pine straw - something that is VERY plentiful in Mississippi.

Tuesday I'm going shopping for plants and get busy putting them in pots for the porches. We don't do alot of flower beds here - living on the lake and in the country it is really acceptible to just throw the plants out there and enjoy wherever they come up. Container gardening is a biggie with me - trying new combinations - colors - etc is always fun. Going to a nursery is like going to the toy store for me.

So - just wanted to let you all know that Spring has sprung at the lake - azaleas are blooming - dogwoods are gorgeous and the redbuds this year were the prettiest I've ever seen. Come see it!!

Vacation!!

Ok - I know - it's been a LONG time since I put a post on here but . . . . . . . . . I have no excuses other than I've been busy. Have wanted to say something about our wonderful vacation in January so here goes:

In January '08 we were scheduled to visit St. Lucia with friends - our 4th year in a row - it was iffy if we would be able to go because the doctors hadn't decided what my treatment plan would be and when it would begin. As it worked out - we were able to go and begin treatments the day after we returned. It was a wonderful trip - got some much needed rest and it was very sad leaving because in the back of my mind I wondered if we would ever be back. I was scared to death it was going to be our last vacation.

A year passed - chemo, mastectomy and then radiation - I made it through everything and suddently we're asking outselves - are we going back?? The answer was YES!! This time it was with a different attitude - I had gotten through breast cancer treatment - had survived it and the doctors were saying "YOU ARE CANCER FREE"!!

Upon arriving our driver picked us up - (Moses) and drove us to Villa Beach - when we walked into our cottage - there - hanging over the door were pink balloons and a banner that said "You are a Survivor" Welcome Home!! Needless to say - there were MANY tears and hugs. Such wonderful people there. They had kept up with me all through the year - watching my progress with much interest. We truly felt like we had returned home.

Our time there passed quickly - wish we could have stayed longer - but we'll be back - this time i KNOW IT!!

THINK PINK AT CHRISTMAS!!

Ok - so I know you are thinking - think PINK??? At Christmas??? Green, red, silver, gold and the occasional blue - but PINK??? That's what I decided to do this year for one of my Christmas trees. I know that it's not for everyone but it just seemed fitting this year that I have a pink tree.

The tree is in my bedroom and honestly I had a great time shopping for pink ornaments. Cindy gave me the first ones - a pink flamingo and a pink boa. FUN!! I also used the "jewelry" and crown that Sarah brought for me to wear in The Race for the Cure. In fact - the crown is at the top of the tree. The little shoes we wore around our neck look great, too. I found more boas (imagine that - ha ha) and all in all I think the tree looks wonderful!! One special ornament is one that my cousin Deborah sent. Her Mom - my aunt - made it several years ago for a Victorian tree - it's a little pink Victorian dress and looks special on the tree. Thanks Deborah for sharing that ornament with me.

This time last year was not a great time - I had just learned that I had breast cancer and needless to say was in a bit of a shock. I remember not being able to sleep or eat and could not sit down - had to constantly keep moving. Didn't decorate any for Christmas - no trees, no lights. The only thing I did get down from the attic were our stockings. Just wasn't in the mood. It's different now because after going through the last year and everything involved in it - I can say I am cancer free!!! Soooooooooo this year I have put up FOUR trees !! ha ha I have definately enjoyed the trees this year - even the one on the porch that has fallen over TWICE from the wind. Mike tied it to a post after the last time and I don't think it's going anywhere now - unless the porch comes down too.

So everybody - think PINK - maybe you don't want to put up a tree totally in pink but perhaps put one little ornament on the tree that is pink and when you look at it - remember all the women who have gone through what I have this past year and pray for their complete recovery!! Let them be able to say - like me - I'M CANCER FREE!!!

Merry Christmas!!

Crown on the top.

Pink Flamingo