Down in weight this week. What a relief. Printing the diaries and reviewing my week, it is easy to see: Though my real calories are higher than my goal, my exercising average and calorie average usually puts me 100 to 150 calories lower than target each day.

What I learned: I was HUNGRY a lot this week. I need to have fruit and other healthful, modest calorie food options readily available. Otherwise I eat empty calories – chocolate, or popcorn.

I relied too much on diet sweeteners. They don't agree with my body, but my palette sure enjoys them.

It's time to buy a few tide-over clothes. My stuff is starting to hang on me and it just looks funny with this new body. But since I'm still losing weight on schedule, I don't want to invest a lot of funds on threads for this weight.

Beautiful day

Long bike ride for exercise. It was windy out. The wind always fatigues me so quickly. I felt very alive and alert to my world. I ride along a former railroad track, converted to a paved trail for walkers, runners, strollers, bikers, roller-skaters, skateboarders — you get the idea. I like the contrasts. Very rural looking in some areas, manufacturing plants in other areas. No traffic in midst of wetlands or forest in some areas, riding beside interstate freeways in other areas.

I passed by the stone place today. I thought at first (months ago), it was just plain stone for one's garden. Then one day I rode by and a large standing stone had "cut" written across it. Next time I rode by there was a point at the top of the stone where the word "cut" had been written. Last time I rode by that same stone had the likeness of a wolf's head carved into the top. Wow! Now I know to pay careful attention to the stones in that yard. I passed by one that had a standing crane painted on one side. I wonder what it might look like the next time I ride by?!

Contrasts of Light and Dark

Got home just in time. Stormy skies started just as the bike touched home. Then the rains began. For the rest of the daylight hours it was alternately blazingly sunny and then dark gray storm clouds. I went out to work on some ceramics and there is a great sky and hill view from the shop. Flowering fruit trees were ablaze with flowers, the evergreens look vibrant in their spring green tips, and the sky kept changing — first from brilliant blue, to fluffy white clouds, to roiling gray, then deep dark gray with the sheeting looking of storms. Invigorating.

Big church day tomorrow

Helping to serve communion, and my first public chance to do the day's bible reading. I am so looking forward to this. It is a reading for Pentecost — a favorite holiday in both the faith of my heritage (Judaism), and the faith of my calling (Christianity). I've practiced the reading out loud, to a recording device, in my head, standing and sitting. I'm as ready as I'll ever be.

Oh, a bit of poetry inspired by something silly my hubby said:

Our nose hairs twine together.
Our eyebrow curls dance above.
Our ear tresses seek out each other.
As our lips tremble in love.

All the funny things that happen to a body as it gets older. All the things I swore wouldn't happen to me. Silly me!

Shalom, -Otter