25 Random Things About Me!!! (OMG!!!)

I was tagged by several friends at Facebook to reveal random things about myself. So, I decided to, also, include them here:

1. I'm the oldest of 7 (2 sisters and 4 brothers - yes, parents got a divorce/dad remarried).

2. I'm the oldest grandchild on my father's side of the family (there are over 40 grandchildren at last count - Grandparents were busy and had 12 kids)

3. I was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. (See I'm a L.A. Woman)

4. I have never been married or been in a long term relationship. (I don't feel bad about it, but hoping someday)

5. I am the CRAZY Aunt. (I dance, play and joke around)

6. I am a Fat Loss Survivor. (It means what you think, I have lost weight)

7. My Best Friend is a BOY. (When we met, I was 18 years old and he was 19 years old)

8. I love to read romance novels - you know Harlequin Romance. (I was 12 when I read my first one)

9. I always wanted to experience being a blonde so I dyed my hair. (A very painful mistake)

10. My maternal grandmother is rumored to have been Jewish. (She was raised Catholic)

11. I speak Spanish. But sometimes if you ask me to translate, I can't do it. (Weird huh)

12. The only country I have traveled outside of the United States is Mexico. (Will be changing that soon)

13. I love dipping wonder bread in cherry flavored kool aid. (I haven't done it in years)

14. I google everything that I don't know. (Knowledge is Power - not kidding)

15. I trip and fall down all the time. (I'm very clumsy)

16. When I'm super busy and thoughts are running through my head, I actually talk out loud to myself. (It keeps me focused)

17. I pretty much like any food. (not kidding)

18. I have a hard time finding hats to wear. (I have a biggo head)

19. I can't draw. ( I cried as a child, wishing to be the next Picasso)

20. I have had one fight. (I punched a boy in the eye, in the fifth grade)

21. I take 3 hour naps. (Smart people take naps- not kidding)

22. I can't parallel park or reverse that well. (I have been known to jump of the car and have my passenger park the car)

23. I'm addicted to magazines. (Seriously, I can't throw them away, can't tear pages out,... yes, I have issues)

24. When I am at a decent weight, people say I look like Elizabeth Shue. When I am overweight, people say I look like Monica Lewinsky. (People please)

25. And, finally, I have never seen a true snow fall, let alone snow storm or driven in snow. (Weird huh)

Remembering to Appreciate Life

When I think life is hard, I think about this remarkable woman. Her name, Irma Lepe, otherwise know as Tia Irma.
And conversations with Tia Irma, also, reminds me of reading a history textbook in high school, her head full of knowledge. I always wish Col. Reynolds (my own personal war hero) and Tia Irma would met, I'm sure that they would talk for days about history.
Tia Irma had many tragedies and triumphs in her life.
Here are a few:
Tia Irma lost both her mother and sister in a car accident in her early 20's, she was the only survivor.
Tia Irma was a teacher and a school administrator in her mid 20's. In fact, she became a true professional in her field of education before she got married and in Mexico that is huge.
Tia Irma had emergency, life saving surgery in her late 20's.
And most important to her, she became a wife to Javier Lepe (Tio Javier) in her early 30's (that was old in Mexican standards). She and Tio Javier were married for nearly 30 years. Tio Javier passed away in 2002.

Tia Irma and Tio Javier never had children, however they did see the world. Ask her about her travels, she had plenty of stories to tell. In fact, I asked if saw Vladimir Lenin's embalmed body while she was in Russia, she did. I thought, wow, how lucky to see that. I believe the only countries that Tia Irma and Tio Javier didn't travel to were Australia, New Zealand, and Fiji.

When I decided to accompany my good friend, Diane, to Vera Cruz, Mexico. I had no idea what a lovely, delightful woman she would be. She was generous with her time and home. Tia Irma showed us the beauty and the rich history that is Mexico, information that you don't hear about or see on T.V. She was the ultimate tour guide. She's the only person I know that had visited every single state in Mexico. She's one person that is up to do anything and she's in her 60's. She's a free spirit and so funny! In Tia Irma's little, red car, Diane, Tia Irma and myself were off to sight see. I especially loved Vera Cruz's oldest coffee house (El Grand Café de la Parroquia). It was the best!!! Rain or shine, we all were in the coffee house every single night, drinking our "lechero" (their version of a latte, but better)!

I'm so blessed to have known this remarkable woman. Tia Irma lost her battle with cancer on November 13th, 2007 in Vera Cruz, Mexico. She passed away quietly in her beloved house, the one she once shared with the love of her life (Tio Javier).

Tia Irma had many tragedies in her life, but that didn't stop her from living life to the fullest. Tia Irma appreciated everything she had, this included her relationships with friends and family. She's an example of what life gives you when you give to life. Tia Irma enriched my life in many ways for this I THANK HER!!!

And remember, "It's about living life with integrity, being honest with people that come across "your" path. Ask "yourself" these hard questions at the end of every day, 'Did you live life with integrity today? Did you move closer to your dreams and goals? Did you say 'I love you' to the ones you love? Did you smile a lot, did you laugh a lot? Did you meet someone new along the way? If the answer is yes, then that's a good day. And that's what I believe life is all about."
— 1985 hijacking victim Jackie Pflug

I hope her story inspires you to remember to appreciate life.

Happy New Year - It's Time For Change!

Oprah says, "Cheers to a new year and another chance for us to get it right.” The thing is we should be changing. We should always be moving forward. We should never be the same person year after year. Change is awesome. I was once so afraid of change that my world literally stopped. I never achieved my goals, because I was afraid to fail. I soon realized that true failure is NOT trying at all. By embracing change, I have developed a sense of ownership to my life. This year I'm super determined to continue to work on myself.

I have goals that I need to work on (I will share my goals at a later post). It's all about personal achievement and satisfaction. At the end of the day, I'm the only person I need to answer to.

Happy New Year, let's rock 2009!

Living With Accountability

We all need to take responsibility for what we do and what we say. I thought about this while watching a show about real estate earlier this week. A couple were looking into buying their first home. The husband says, "Not only do I have recent bankruptcy, but I'm in debt as well. But, this is what I can afford." And the real estate agent shows them a fix-er-upper, now only does the couple need to come up with the payment, but now they need money to fix up the place. Does that make any kind of sense??? The guy is in debt. But, it represents alot of people in America, buying when they can't afford it. Heck, I was guilty of it myself once. But, I took responsibility and said, "why was I putting myself through this every single month, I deserved better." It's all about taking accountability for the decisions that are made every single day. I think if all of us take responsibility for our decisions and actions we would be a much better world.

And, remember LIFE is still good and each of us can make it better!!! As former President Woodrow Wilson said, "We are not here merely to make a living. We are here to enrich the world."

It's Friendship

Friendship is the topic of the day. This week I have been thinking about friends that have come and gone in my life. And some of my friends have also thought about their own friendships. Friends come and go, but these individuals do leave a mark on you. You have friends at work, the gym, and even some e-mail friends. All friends serve a purpose in our lives. There a quote I read earlier this week but I don't remember who said it, it goes something like this, "sometimes you pick your friends, sometimes they pick you." It's so true. All friends teach us something about ourselves, whether is good or bad. All friends help us grow in one way or another. And sometimes, friends just drift apart or are no longer around for whatever reason. It happens and it's just fine. Remembering the good parts of a friendship is important. I had two great friends that are no longer part of my life. But, when I think about them today, it's with great joy and laughter. I decided this week that I don't think I would go back in time to change any part of myself, except when it comes to school and weight of course. I couldn't go back, because then I run the risk of not meeting many of my friends. I treasure all my friendships even the ones that are no longer around. Because as John Lennon said, "I get by with a little help from friends."

Cups and Spoons (my trick to losing extra weight)

This past week, we, in America, celebrated Thanksgiving. We traditionally get Thanksgiving and the day after Thanksgiving off, which means most of us get a four day weekend. Thanksgiving marks the start of holiday eating, in other words, overeating. Not only do we eat; Turkey, stuffing (dressing), mashed potatoes, veggies in a butter bath, yams loaded with brown sugar and marshmallows and yummy rolls, we eat it all. Some of us eat tamales, mac and cheese, green bean casserole and ham, just to name few dishes. Oh and let's not forget desserts; pumpkin pies, sweet potato pies, apple pies, german chocolate cake and pecan pie, again just to name a few desserts. We just load up on the calories. It would fine if we all just ate one huge meal on Thanksgiving, but typically we make so much food that we eat the same meal for the four days. YIKES! WOW! I'm mean great food, but not so great on our bodies and minds. All this overeating makes us want to do nothing but sit in front of the T.V. and naps. I have always said, have a party, have your guests bring plastic containers/bags. Let's share the worth that is called leftovers. If you are one of those we continued to celebrate Thanksgiving throughout the four day weekend, I have a simple solution for you.
First of all, don't call yourself names like; I'm a loser, I'm a failure, I'm a fatso and/or I'm a moron, again just to name few. There is no point to it, believe me, I know. Just chalk up the last four days as, "I screwed up and, now, I need to get back on track." Second, get your measuring cups and spoons out (don't have any, go buy some). Now, this is not a proven scientific method, I use it to lose some pounds:

Breakfast:
1 whole egg, 1 egg white with 2 cups of veggies of your choice.
1 piece of whole grain toast.
or
1 cup of oatmeal with fruit
with non-fat/1% or soy milk (use proper serving, use your measure cups)
or
any whole grain cereal (use proper serving, use your measure cups)
drink with non-fat/1% or soy milk (again use the proper serving)

Lunch and Dinner:
1 cup - start filling the cup with your protein (chicken, lean beef, lean pork, whatever you want)- remember protein (meat) isn't brown sugar, no packing please.
1/2 cup - start filling the cup with a starch carb (sweet potato or brown rice)
2 cups -start filling the cup with any kind of veggies you want, if you want more, load up.
If you want a salad (load it up with greens, tomatoes, red onion, any veggie you want).
Dressing (either use lemon/lime juice or take your measure spoons and measure 1 tablespoon of dressing.)

snacks:
non-fat/1% cottage cheese, an medium apple or orange, a serving of nuts (almonds or walnuts).

Third, drink plenty of water. And, finally, increase your workouts by 15-20 minutes. Within a few days, you will see a difference.
I got the idea about using measuring cups and spoons, when my youngest sister was first diagnosed with Diabetes Type 1 (she was 10, I was 12 years old). I read all her materials and pay attention when the doctor spoke with my parents. It just makes sense.

Again, I'm sharing what I do with those who read this post. I'm not a nutritionist, a nurse or a doctor, just someone who has used this method for years.

Letting Go of the Past!

I learned a lesson this weekend. I realized that I never, really, truly knew the meaning of letting go the past to move into the future. I was hanging on to a bit of my past that was just unhealthy. The thing is, I didn't even realize it until something happened late, last week. But, once I did, it took me 7 hours and 32 minutes to let that part of my past go. It wasn't easy, but I had to do it . I kept repeating to myself, LIFE IS SO SHORT, WHY CARRY THIS AROUND! My intention is not to preach, but let me tell you I felt a huge weight lift off my back (too bad it wasn't weight). I, also, realized that I wasn't paying enough attention to what was happening to me. I remember reading somewhere to take five minutes everynight to reflect on the days events. It's the best way to figure out what you did that day and how it impacts where you want to go. I started doing that and it has opened my eyes. Again, nothing is rocket science, when you know what you want out of life!!! All this reflection reminds me of a quote from President Kennedy that I read years ago, "Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future." Why hold on to something that can't be change? There is no point to it. Live life, for we only get one to make the most of it.