The Process

All of Life is a Process

     
     I have come to the realization, life is a process.  Sometimes the process is the consequence of our bad choices. That is not really what we are talking about today. That is for another blog. I have made mistakes. I am not perfect. I have had to suffer the consequences of my actions. That is for another blog. Even though it is wonderful and freeing. When we own our poor life choices. Instead of blaming others and blaming peer pressure. That is for another blog. I could write explicitly about that. Let me stop right here.

Air Plant, just because

    What about when life hands you lemons? When you are going through times and trials that are not of your own making. When real life is happening. My thoughts are that life usually mirrors seasons. People are free to disagree. For me the season of trial is winter. No this isn't going to be a winter hate blog. No matter how disagreeable and nasty the season is.

Daffodils poking through the cold hard ground
In February

    Keep in mind that everything that is costly and beautiful, goes through a process and sometimes it is painful. Diamonds require high temperatures and pressure.(1) Gold needs a fire (2) to be refined and remove the imperfections. Gold and diamonds have no feeling. If gold and diamonds had feeling, the pressure would be painful.
This is just the creation. It doesn't take into account the cutting and molding from human hands.  

   When a pearl is created. A parasite or some type of irritant, takes up residence in a Oyster shell. (3) It can take six months on wards up to four years. Interesting thought that the pearl that took four years to form would be the most expensive(4) Even the odd pearls that are flawed are still beautiful.

    A caterpillar has to die, to become a butterfly. (5) It spins itself into a cocoon. Then it digests itself, but some cells remain. Having once watched the metamorphosis. From caterpillar to butterfly. It looks awful and painful. 

     This is the verse that has brought me comfort, during the winters of my life. Even if it has taken me a while to come to this point. The reason I am writing this blog. Is because of my current trip through winter, both spiritually and meteorological. (link below)

Progress Report, Part Two

2 Corinthians 12:9

I use the NIV and it isn't up for discussion.

     

Another verse that has brought me comfort. 

1 Peter 5:7 NIV

      Daffodils among other Spring flowers need a hard and cold winter. This is from my own personal experience. Once when we had a very warm winter. We had no daffodils or tulips. I personally loved it, the bulbs? Not so much.

    In February when the Daffodils start sprouting. They often have to endure terrible circumstances. Snow, ice and freezing cold temperatures. Yet they survive. They persevere and bloom in due time. They are all the more beautiful for their suffering.

Before

After

A few of my other blogs
What I have been doing? Progress Report, Part One
What have I been doing? Progress Report, Part Two

Bibliography
1.  https://geology.com/articles/diamonds-from-coal/
2.  https://www.britannica.com/technology/gold-processing
3. https://www.livescience.com/32289-how-do-oysters-make-pearls.html
4. https://www.americanpearl.com/historyoyster.html
5. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/caterpillar-butterfly-metamorphosis-explainer/

The Ugly Truth; Week Eleven! Triggered by Winter! 😂

          Last week's snow didn't amount to much. Cold weather had me down. The weather was horrible and not just cold. It was frigid cold. I would take the dogs out in snow pants and a ski jacket. The wind and cold would penetrate them. Then the weather improved. It is going back to hideous frigid cold, tomorrow. Thankfully the hateful stuff will only last two days. I will let you know if I survive without binging and emotional eating. Cold weather always makes me so down.

140.7 Last Week
138.7 This Week

          My thoughts used to be this way. That we could have one week of winter. We could have one big snow storm. Now I think winter can go hang. It can just go away. And never, ever come back. After all it had six months to get it's stuff together. So it can just go away!

Didn't feel good in the morning.
Because of my menstrual cycle.
Felt better in the evening so I
exercised 

          I am sorry that this blog isn't the usual happy and positive blog. I am a huge ball of emotions. I feel gross and bloated . I'm in a horrific mood at the thought of the approaching weather. I mean seriously! Winter is like that obnoxious pest of a houseguest that just cannot get a clue. Go away already! I would rather be real and authentic than fake happy. Fake happy people are more obnoxious than winter.

I guess this will be the last place that
I see results.



          So we shall see.....tune in next week. The weather will be better and I am sure that my mood will be better, too.

As always, if you see any diet product advertisers or spam sites on my blog. That should NEVER be considered an endorsement. I had to delete and block a spammer last week.

**DISCLAIMER** The opinions on this blog are mine and mine alone. This is my journey. I am neither a doctor nor a dietitian. Which you should consult before you begin any healthy journey **DISCLAIMER**

Ugly Truth! Week Eight! Birthdays and Buffets!

          This week is my birthday! Not going to tell you exactly how old I am. That is a closely guarded secret. I will tell you what I am going to do. I am going to the Chinese Buffet and eating homemade coconut cake. My mom makes the most delicious, light and fluffy coconut cake. You only get one birthday per year and life is way to short not to celebrate!

136.2 This Week
137.3 Last Week

          Last week, I was a little lazy when it came to exercise. We have had beautiful spring like weather. Which has unfortunately stirred up my seasonal allergies. Which has made me a little loopy. So I only exercised three days last week. Friday was just a lazy day. Didn't feel like exercising so I didn't. This week I am recommitted to my program.

          Loving this spring weather. Even if it makes me suffer from allergies. If you know me at all. You know that I despise Winter. With every fiber of my being. Our Winters for the past several years have been nasty and hateful. It's about time that we have a mild and lovely Winter.

Any imagined progress is because
I am standing up a little straighter

          It's kind of embarrassing. When one of your family members walks in on you writing your blog. They look at your pictures and say Ugh! What on earth is that!?!? That has happened more than once. Here's to hot blog pictures. Even though that will take a while.

Ugh! My back!
Well it didn't get this way in eight weeks
It's not going to go away in eight weeks

 As always, ANY ads for diet products appearing on my page. Should NEVER be viewed as an endorsement. Unless it is Spark People or Weight Watchers.

**DISCLAIMER** The opinions on this blog are my own. This is my journey as I see it. I am neither a doctor nor a dietitian. If you plan to start your own journey. You should consult your medical professionals. **DISCLAIMER**

Bulbs, Prayers and Faith

          While planting bulbs, I was considering how praying and faith is just like fall planting.

            Planting bulbs is like the seasons of your life. First you get the bulbs. And life is good. The weather is still relatively warm and the sun is shining most of the time. There is just a bit of chill in the air, warning you that some hardship is coming your way.

            And bulbs are plain and unfortunate. They look nothing like the finished product. Seeing the plain bulbs in the store. Marveling how such a dreary little thing could become a beautiful flower.


            Then Winter and hardship come. And you may feel beat down. Winter both the physical season and the season in my life have a way of making me feel defeated. This part of your life can make you feel like you are drowning. And you look at where you planted your prayers and it looks like soil or mulch. It is even more unfortunate than the bulbs that you planted a couple months ago.  I always remind myself the harder the winter the more beautiful the spring flowers. And the same is true in life.

 

             Even though you cannot see it. Something wonderful is going on beneath the surface.

             And then as your prayers begin to be answered. And you see the answers springing forth. As the weather gets warmer and things get a little better. And the seeds begin to spring forth. One of my favorite videos on You Tube, showing the process of seeds growing.

            

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d26AhcKeEbE

       
           


              I wish that all prayers were answered in a couple weeks or months.  Some take a year or years and even decades. I know that I have been praying for certain things for many years. And obviously the prayers haven't been answered. I don't give up hope. When the prayers are answered it will all make sense. That is where faith comes in. And keeping the faith, throughout all seasons of life is fabulous.



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What is Fabulous about Winter?

    This is going to be a really short blog. I couldn't answer my own question. No matter how hard I tried. Couldn't think of anything fabulous about Winter. For a minute or two, I thought, when it snows. Then I remembered how I have to shovel it. That really ruins the moment. Or when it becomes dirty and just won't melt

     Then I was thinking with anticipation. How the tulips and daffodils are poking their delicate little heads out of the ground. In anticipation of Spring. And how on the news they have just announced the dates for the Cherry Blossom Festival. And I think of my own Cherry Tree blooming in all it's pink and white glory. And that gives me hope.

     And then you walk into stores and past your knit hat. You see sandals, flip flops and swimsuits. Next to the shorts, t-shirts and sundresses. And you lift your knit hat off of your forehead, to see the wonderful spring and summer clothes. You don't dare take your knit hat off. You know that hat hair is so not fabulous. The wonderful spring apparel says, don't worry winter will soon pass. You won't have to wear seventeen layers of clothes for long.

   So thinking really hard. I figured out that what makes winter fabulous is when it is over. I cannot lie. I wanted to write a positive blog, but it rang false. I knew that my smart readers would see right through me. Not only are my friends and readers smart. They are also fabulous for reading my blog.

    That being said. I am not going to complain about Summer. I love Summer and will love it even more when the current season is a distant memory. And if I could figure out how to have Fall, Spring and Summer. Skipping Winter all together. I would sign up for that.