“Some challenges along the way!

My trip to Baltimore was only one of the big tests for me!  Backing up a bit, you recall I said the staff watched me like a hawk so I wouldn’t injure myself. But even with that my left glute muscle started tightening up from doing burpees.  The first week at  Renton Results Boot Camp

 I learned about these so called burpees! They are an exercise like no other!! I’m told they are the best full body exercise I can do!  So what’s a burpee?  From a standing position I go into a squat, hands on floor in front of me—thrust legs straight back into a full body plank, jump legs back into squat and spring into the air landing on my feet to repeat the procedure as many times a I can in 30 seconds or so—sometimes 60 seconds. I think Luka had us do 2 minutes non stop the other day!!!!! That’s the basic burpee that probably goes by lots of other names as well.

 I was doing several regressions below that when I mentioned to Luka the pain I was feeling in my left glute . He had me start rolling on a black high density foam roller before and after boot camp. Wow, did it ever hurt as I rolled over those knotted up muscles! It was like a deep tissue massage focusing right on the knot! BUT after I rolled and got back up on my feet it felt so much better.  Eventually the knotted muscle relaxed and I’ve been doing foam rolling every since. I have my own at home and use it daily. 

I did mention getting back up on my feet didn’t I?  That reminds me of some humbling opportunities when I started boot camp. I guess I should be happy that someone didn’t have to come to my aid for me to even get up off the mat!!!  Why is it that all the exercise sequences seem to have you on your feet one second and then on the floor the next, then back up again!  So as I’m trying to get my 244 pounds off the floor, Luka looks at me struggling and shows me how to put one bent leg onthe mat  first and lean on my knee to get up!  DUH!!! That is how I still get up sometimes, but I can also jump up  too!! Hurray!!

One of the intervals included a 60 yard sprint. I was so excited that I could run, I decided to do it around our neighborhood for my cardio!  After an exhilarating run, rather than listening to my body—specifically my knee that was complaining from the pounding on the pavement, I poured it on all the more. I was at my sister’s who had invested in a very nice treadmill. So I cranked it up to 5 mph+ and proceeded to run for 30 seconds, walk for a minute. I did that for 15 minutes. My knee was further complaining. Did I listen? Of course not!  I did it again the next morning after which I could hardly walk!!  The pain was not pleasant to  say the least, but the thought that I may have unwittingly messed up my boot camp experience and not be able to exercise was very 'painful'!  And I wasn't even at boot camp when I did it!!

Not to worry. Yup I had messed up my knee---nothing torn, just irritated and in need of the supporting muscles being strengthened!  Luka modified my exercises and had me rolling the IT band and quads. I thought the glutes hurt when I rolled them. That was nothing compared to the extremely tightened up muscles in my right leg!  Even now I still grimace at the thought of the pain. But I worked through it continuing to roll in spite of the pain and as before there was relief each time! He further showed me what to do to avoid stress on that knee---just as he had modified exercises to allow my glute muscle to recover. I never missed a day of boot camp even in the midst of hurting myself! Pretty soon I was able to add back in high knees and reverse lunges.

To show you how much of a novice I was at all of this, I emailed Luka to tell him about the tight muscles. I had to google front leg muscle/back of leg muscle to even come up with the proper names to explain to him my problem!  I now know a bit about my hamstrings and quadriceps and where they are located!!

The big lesson for me is that I never got hurt at boot camp, but I needed to watch what I tried to do on my own!  It took about 5 months for that knee to be happy with sprints!  I guess it took that long to strengthen the supporting muscles. I’m so glad to tell you that I can now run again. However, I don’t over do it and I LISTEN to what my body is telling me!!! Lesson learned!

To be continue. . . . Thanks for visiting with this babyboomergrandma and until next time may God richly bless YOU!

“Baltimore Here We Come”

With the weight loss challenge came a weigh in once every 2 weeks and accountability for eating via a food journal turned in weekly. In the beginning weeks of the weight loss challenge a major point that Luka drilled into us was planning our meals for the week, shopping and preparing our meals ahead so that it was easy to grab that snack or meal when hungry.  2 ½ weeks into the challenge I was going to have to miss the next 2 ½ half weeks of boot camp while taking my mother to visit my oldest daughter and her family in Baltimore. This could be a major bump in the road for me in maintaining the eating and exercise I had just started getting into!

Mom and Me at Easter 2010



Again, the need for planning that Luka had drilled into me took over!  I was determined to keep with the program while away. The “odds” were against me as I’d just barely embarked on this journey. I was just learning the protocol, but I remembered Rebekah’s word, “Just do what you can do!”  That actually included a whole lot. Luka let me audio tape on my OLD portable cassette recorder a few of the boot camps. I also wrote down the exercises for each tape. I barely knew what these exercises were let alone do them on my own. I packed my work out clothes, some equipment I could use, ordered my protein powder and vitamins shipped to Baltimore, packed my snacks and meals for the 7 hr trip, bought a big bottle of water at the airport and embarked with my 96 year old mother on this leg of my journey! 





My Baltimore support group!



We arrived in Baltimore early evening and were whisked home by my daughter Deborah. She was immediately on board with my plan and very encouraging of my exercising as well as understanding of my eating situation. Basically I planned to eat whatever I could of the meals she prepared for the family and do my own as needed. My protein and vitamins had already arrived. She showed me in the basement where I could set up my “gym”.  She provided a yoga mat and I found some full cans of paint to help for “weights” along with the bands I had packed. Early the next day we headed for the grocery store so I could pick up the foods I needed. I even had my own drawer in her refrigerator!   Since I was just ending the first 21 day phase of what was called “green faces”--- eating every 2 ½ to 3 hrs with 3 meals and 2-3 snacks including some protein each time I ate, I majored on protein and green vegetables, ignoring the carbohydrate foods. until I completed the first 21 days. Then I added a couple small servings of healthy carbs.

So how did it work for me? I used the chocolate protein shake with added spinach, flax meal and psyllium husks as one of the snacks and a second one if needed. Plus I used a thickened version (more ice/less water) as a delightful dessert in the evening. Mom decided the shakes I shared with her were a great way to ‘enjoy’ spinach—not her favorite vegetable!  Along with this I started the day with 4 cups of filtered water and 2 more cups before each meal, trying to drink at least 10 cups a day. My meat/frish/poultry/eggs protein source  along with 2 cups of green vegetables at each meal kept me very satisfied. I was soon able to add in 2 small carb servings of yellow sweet potato. YUM!! Carbs never tasted so good!

I include all this to stress the point that I planned for success while away. I weighed in at Deborah’s, emailed my food diary and sent after work out cell phone pictures to Luka and Rebekah for accountability. Luka told me he could tell by a picture if I’d really worked out enough!  I did consider splashing water on my face once in a while, but with his voice encouraging me on those tape and the familiarity of boot camps I had already done,  I was plenty sweaty without any theatrics!  Daily I headed for the basement first thing in the morning to do my 5 minute warm ups and 25 minute “boot camp”. In the 17 days I was away I only missed exercising the two travel days. I must admit that I was in the basement doing boot camp a couple of evenings at 11:00 pm because I didn’t get down there before the day took over!

The good and encouraging news is that I continued to lose weight taking off nearly 8 pounds during that time. I planned for success, had an attitude of success and proved that I could be successful in a challenging set of circumstances. It also told me that if I could   "DO IT"   away from home on vacation, I could do it anywhere!

 To be continue. . . . Thanks for visiting with this babyboomergrandma and until next time may God richly bless YOU!

“Back to School Weight loss challenge”

As I previously mentioned, Wednesday, September 1^st I walked into my first ever boot camp owned and operated by Luka Hocevar and his staff.  Renton Results Boot Camp www.rentonresultsbootcamp.com/  looked like no gym I had ever frequented.  Where were the tread mills, the elliptical machines, the stair climbers, spinning cycles, weight machines?  There were none of the typical gym machines I was accustomed to in my 15 years of working out!  Instead, I entered a long, narrow, high ceiling garage with green AstroTurf looking floor at one end and black half inch rubber like covering at the other. Lined up along the wall were round balls with handles—I found out later called Kettle bells!

There was boot camp graffiti decorating the walls with encouraging words like: “Go Hard or Go Home!”  What?  Maybe I should just go right back out that door!  Another notice on the wall stated “Things come to those who wait but only what’s left over by those who hustle!”     More encouragement on another wall stated that “The greatest glory is not in never falling, but rising every time you fall.”    And “You can’t change your –potential but you can choose to fulfill it.”  On second thought I might stick around at least for the free week!   And what was that odor?  Perfume a la Gym?????

I soon found out why there weren’t a lot of machines. For one thing there wasn’t the space, but more importantly, my body was going to be the machine. I learned what was for me a new form of exercise---my body would provide the resistance weight.  At 244 pounds I would have a whole lot of weight and a whole lot of resistance to deal with! 

I still recall that my second time at boot camp one of the intervals included forward and backward bear crawls!  I could not even come close to getting up on my hands and feet in a bear crawl stance let alone “crawl”!  So I crawled across on my hands and knees!  That WAS humbling as well as painful on the Astro Turf covered cement!  And probably pretty hilarious as well. But no one laughed---at least not out loud!  I remembered Rebekah’s words, “Just do what you can do, Mom!”  I was short on style, finesse, and form, to name just a few, but not on effort!  I was putting all I had into this boot camp experience.

After meeting with Luka the week after attending my first camp, I was recovering from a bit of sticker shock!  My $21.00 a month current gym membership over the years was a “bargain”-BUT what had it done for me?  My thought since then has been that I can pay for boot camp now or for the doctor later!  And we all know what will be the bigger bill in the long run!! 

So, I made the 8 week weight loss challenge commitment!  Rebekah paid a portion of it for my birthday, gave me a coupon she had been given and my husband, as per my request paid the other half for my 64^th birthday gift! So the money was on the line and there was no backing out now!!! Not that I wanted to. I was actually excited that this just might be something that would finally work for me!  What did I have to lose? Nothing but 79 pounds—duh!!!---I’d already lost my dignity doing the plank and leaving a puddle of sweat on the floor and that was even while wearing my 70’s style pink sweat band which I could wring out after each boot camp!  Talk about gross!  No wonder this boot camp in a garage had a strange aroma when I entered the door that first day!

September 12, 2010 @ 244#'s
What can I say? The sweats tell it all!!

Actually, I was soon to be regaining some of my dignity as I started doing more push ups and more body weight exercises and less unscheduled planks!  I became familiar with words like burpees, the prowler, dynaball slams, kettle bell goblet squats, TRX pull ups, walk outs, reverse lunges, high knees, sprinters sit ups, prisoner squats, squat jumps AND my favorite---squat holds! A whole new vocabulary was assaulting my brain as well as my body! I have to say that it was good for mind AND body!  I was on my way!!!!! Hurray!!! But wait, right around the corner was a potential BIG BUMP in the road.  Stay tuned for more of the adventures in this ‘babyboomergrandma’s journey to gettin’ fit and healthy. I’ll be back with more in a day or so! Until then, may God richly bless YOUR  life!

An added note: 

  Yes, I had crossed over the line from overweight to obese.  So why would I put such a revealing picture of my challenge with obesity on this blog? Because it is not the end of the story and I want you to see what can be done. With the power and grace of God, my can do attitude, good trainers, diet and boot camp you will be just as amazed as I am every day with the on-going transformation!

Boot Camp Here I Come!

The words “Boot Camp” bring up visions of new recruits for the military crawling under and over, between, around and through every obstacle known to man as well as a few others thrown in for surprise!  So why in the world would I even consider subjecting my body to anything remotely related to a boot camp?  Isn’t that what separates the ‘men from the boys’ so to speak?

These were my thoughts whenever my 32 year old daughter Rebekah would mention how much she was enjoying Renton Results Boot Camp. Doing something like that was the farthest from my mind in June when she started training there. In fact I was finding myself becoming a bit resentful of her success and her excitement in reaching goals she had almost given up on. It didn’t help that I was in the midst of adding another 10 pounds to my already "fluffy" girth. It didn’t help that I had decided I was going to try to be happy fat! I didn’t want to hear it—not that she was lecturing me or even indicating I needed to go with her. In fact she continued to encourage me that I was beautiful and helped me accentuate the positives--- [Should I say the pluses? As in plus size?  J] with my wardrobe.

However, seemingly hopeless situations demand drastic action. So I arrived at a day the very end of August when I told Rebekah, “I think I’d like to try your boot camp.”  The next time she would be going was Wednesday, September 1, 2010. So I tagged along. I could go for a week to see if it was something that would work for me. No money lost if it didn’t!

It soon became apparent that I was the oldest one there. Not only was I twice as old as my 32 year old daughter, there were those who were  5 to 10 years younger than her! I was so grateful to see another lady probably 10 to 15 years my junior! She probably does not know to this day how encouraging she was to me!  I really need to let her know!

So let the action begin----did I just say that???? Warm ups were first:  5 exercises of 50 seconds each with 10 second breaks. After the first one I was out of breath. By the fifth one I was dripping wet from sweat and wondering “what in the world have I gotten myself into!!??”  The trainers watched me like a hawk. They weren’t going to have a “senior citizen” mess herself up on their watch!  I can’t even remember the intervals we did that day. I do remember it was hard! I was exhausted part way through. For a brief second I considered escaping to the bathroom, but on second thought decided that I’d have to come back out sooner or later. Plus, I’d probably have someone banging on the door to see if I was O.K. 

Rebekah was so much encouragement telling me “Do as much as you can, Mom. If you can’t do it, just hold a plank.”  HOLD A PLANK????? You gotta be kidding! I can’t even hold one for more than a few seconds and it’s a plank from the knees at that! I was to be “plank queen” for quite a few weeks to come! I finished out the boot camp that Wednesday and Rebekah was ecstatic. “You made it through the entire time!” she commended me. My reply? “I didn’t know I had any other option!”  Rebekah informed me after the fact that she had seen new people quit half way through and sit at the side curled up hugging their knees! I’m very glad I didn’t know that before hand!

My introduction to boot camp left me exhausted, but wanting more. My body was aching, but it was a good kind of ache!  Like muscles waking up from a long sleep. I came back without Rebekah on Friday and again on Saturday. Saturday was a killer work out for me!  I was so glad it hadn’t been the first one or I might not have come back!  That same week they announced a Back to School Weight Loss Challenge to begin on the 12^th of September. Was I in the right place at the right time?  So what did I decide? I’ll be back in a few days to share the amazing journey I embarked upon at Renton Results Boot Camp!  Thanks for visiting with this "Babyboomergrandma".  And until next time, may God richly bless your life.

“A slap in the face?”

I felt like I had just been slapped in the face. It was 1994 ---17 years ago. I was enjoying reading a self-improvement book called “Telling Yourself the Truth” by William Backus. I arrived at a chapter toward the end of the book which began meddling with my mind. This was a chapter that would forever change my outlook and approach to life.

Up to this point in my life, I had always prided myself in a job well done, going the extra mile or two, making the best better, and doing a job no one could do any better. I had the latest organizing, self-help, and improvement books.  If my husband had an idea, I would always see the big picture and the potential pitfalls. I liked to call It being practical, being realistic. However, I think there’s another name for it, being pessimistic, critical spirit, always seeing the cup half empty---focusing on the failure factor potential rather than celebrating success. After all, I had to balance out his ‘pie in the sky’ faith filled ‘unrealistic’ cup half full approach to life. Someone had to keep his feet on the ground!  Yes, he is a very patient man!

Not only did I have to do my best, I wanted my daughters to do their best as well. They were the dread of other girls at the county fair. If they got their garments, cooking projects, or other entries past me, they were assured of having a top place and usually a championship rating. What a tremendous amount of pressure my expectations put on them. I see this looking back though at the time it was not a conscious motive I recognized.

So back to this book. What I had prized so highly—being a perfectionist, doing a perfect job, saying the perfect thing, being a perfect family, was suddenly under attack! Perfectionism is an admirable character quality isn’t it?  It seems that the author of this book was saying otherwise!  Perfectionism had a lot of negative aspects to it. You mean that all my life what I thought was exemplary was in fact a very negative character flaw? Talk about knock me off my feet! 

To sum it up, I found out that even with its positive qualities, perfectionism had become a performance prison for me with no possibility of parole for good behavior, because no amount of ‘good behavior’ nothing I could do would ever be enough to convince me, the perfectionist, of my intrinsic value as a person.” I derived my value not from who I am in Christ, but what I could do. I felt valued because I made my husband’s suits. I felt valued because I could organize my home, have it squeaky clean, teach my daughters, and organize anything from girls club to work parties at church or dinner parties at home.  

It was a great day when it dawned on me that my husband’s unconditional love was based on who I am, not what I could do for him.  I am glad to say that over the years I have changed my self-talk!  I have come to accept the fact that I am perfect in God’s eyes and that’s what counts!  I am a former perfectionist, living by grace in the freedom I have in Christ Jesus, living in faith and letting go of my perfectionist expectations of self and others.

The emotional, spiritual and mental implications are obvious, but what does this have to do with being physically fit?  There are at least two perfectionist attitudes that have sabotaged my weight loss.  If I didn’t follow my food plan perfectly I was afraid I’d loose control completely and get fat.  If I didn’t exercise every day, I felt I might quit altogether.  So how did I learn to deal with this? We shall see. Thanks for visiting with this "Babyboomergrandma". 

And until next time, may God richly bless your life.

First born type A girl marries baby of the family boy!

May 29^th, 2011 will mark 40 years since I married the love of my life.  I have actually known my husband for 45 years.  While in my second year of college,  my roommate and I wanted to come to the ‘big city’ for spring break. So we set out in my only transportation---my parents olive green 1950's something Chevy station wagon loaned to me for travel to school. We stayed at the YMCA in Seattle. Coming from Elma via Aberdeen, this was a big adventure!  My sister knew a couple of guys in Seattle who would show us the town. They picked us up from the Y and took us to dinner at a restaurant called Gasperetti’s.  The weather was nice and after dinner we drove down along lake Washington for an evening walk along the lake. This was the spring of 1966 just before I was to graduate from Grays Harbor Community College.

As I walked along the lake with Richard, one of the young men, he started talking to me about my spiritual life. His questions were very pointed and uncomfortable. I had been brought up in church; Sang in the choir, attended and taught Sunday School, went forward at age 12,  got baptized and joined the church. I did everything my parents expected, trying to set a good example for my four younger siblings. That is, until I went away to college. I had gone through a year of full blown rebellion. If my parents had taught me something, I did the opposite. So as he brought up these questions I had no ‘goody-two-shoes’ story to tell him. I knew I was doing wrong, going against what I had been taught and what was smart and right for my life!

It was during this time as a 19 year old that I committed my life to Christ.  I got into a church that would encourage my new life in Christ. Richard was also an encouragement to me. He would write letters that were like the Bible---scripture after scripture that helped me along on this adventure.   So it was hard not to be focused on him as well. He was encouraging, positive, handsome, friendly, ……But he was also wise!  He left for Jamaica June of that same year, not knowing if he would ever return. 

The saying “Distance makes the heart grow fonder” certainly played out in our relationship. His goal was that I be dependent on the Lord and my relationship with the Lord, not with some man—namely himself! He also had to have the assurance that I was God’s choice for him.  Being a new believer, I had no clue about how to figure out such an important decision.  I checked the mail box often. In those days it took a good three weeks for mail to travel from Washington State to Jamaica!   It seemed like three months!  The day I got the letter that he was heading back to the states was a day of delight for me.  He drove non-stop from Miami through LA up the coast to Seattle. Made a quick stop in Seattle and then continued on North to Bellingham, where I was in school.  

Over the next 4 ½ years, our relationship was on again, off again as I went through the process of maturing in Christ. I graduated and went on to teach school. Sometimes we went to church together, sometimes separately. One thing he told me at the beginning was that he would never marry me without my parent’s permission.  At the time, I made some comment to the effect that if that’s the case, we would never be getting married!  However, over the next 4 years my parents came to love my handsome, dark complexioned husband-to-be!  It was with genuine love and joy that they granted him permission to marry me. That was definitely a ‘God thing’!  

Walking down the aisle weighing
145pounds with my dad

We were married 5 weeks after his proposal. He was hoping for 3 days, but I told him I hadn’t waited for 5 years to get married tomorrow. While continuing to teach, plan my wedding, sew my wedding dress, flower girls and bride’s maid dresses, etc I was prepared by that  5th week. Part of the side ‘benefit’ of all the hustle and bustle was losing 15# without even trying. I was just too busy and too excited to eat!  Therefore, I walked down the aisle at my lowest ever adult weight. 145 pounds! 

Though that is my lightest weight, it was not a very ‘fit’ weight. I never exercised. I didn’t even know what exercise was other than high school and college P.E classes. I’m sure that being on my feet and ‘running’ all day as a teacher gave a certain level of fitness!  Plus I had youth on my side!

So began the new life of a ‘4^th generation first born type-A’ woman to her -baby boy of the family’ husband! Fortunately, he had the maturity of age and God given patience and grace to  love unconditionally this up-tight lady!

Thanks for visiting with this "Babyboomergrandma". My journey continues.  And until next time, may God richly bless your life.

Been there done that! My Moose Moments!

 I was 32 when my second and last baby arrived. From that time until my mid 40’s I was able to drop weight pretty much at will. I would just fast---drinking only water--- for a week or two and drop weight dramatically. Over the years I also tried low/high carb, low/high protein, the latest fad,  counting calories, journaling, etc etc etc. I remember how proud I was at a meeting I sponsored in my home on weight loss as I held up the jeans that were now way too big!  What a great feeling and how motivating!  Can you imagine the self-condemnation when I couldn’t even get those same jeans half way on, several years later?



Oldest Daughters
Wedding day!



With friends in Jamaica--
A 'Moose Moment' for sure!



 I have had all the excuses!  I have worked out at gyms for over 15 years. I had great motivation to get ready for my oldest daughter’s wedding. I worked so hard to take off weight and all I did was add muscle under the fat, making my arms even bigger and the sleeves in my jacket even tighter. I just had to smile and ignore my size at the wedding. After all, it was my daughter’s day. I once said that the only thing harder than being short and fat is to be tall and fat. I felt like a moose!  So my daughter’s wedding was one of many ‘moose moments’ for me!  Guess I should have been glad I didn’t feel like an elephant!!    You think???

After 50 and menopause, by body just said “no way”---with all the yoyo losing the weight and gaining it back again, my body rebelled and would no longer take anything off. I had hijacked my metabolism and it didn’t know what to do at this point!  Plus, my small waist was disappearing as I began getting a so called ‘post-menopause pot-belly’…something I had never had. Big hips, yes, but always a smaller waist.  In fact there were some ladies in the market in Jamaica who commented on my ‘hour-glass’ shape with that small waist and big hips!  They thought my shape was beautiful. I must say that did help me to look at myself a bit differently!  I am not a skinny person, never was , never will be and don’t really want to be. I think curves are nice!!! But I do want to be my healthy weight.

Even with all the challenges I never gave up—that is, until that June day I decided to try to be happy fat!  I was tired of fighting the battle of the bulge.  I wanted to be able to eat what I wanted and not have to worry about it. All this time I had been doing spinning classes a couple of times a week as well as body sculpting class, step aerobics, palates and some exercises on my own. I was spending at least 8 to 10 hours a week at the gym. However, the previous 4 months I had not so much as set foot in the gym! So this particular day I made the conscious choice to learn how to be happy fat.  I figured this would give me some relief from the struggle. Afterall, it’s important to accept ones self the way they are. There were lots of rationalizations running through my mind.

Prior to making this decision my daughter Rebekah decided to help me update my wardrobe. She was so encouraging in helping me find outfits that made me look good even with my ‘girth’!  She saw the beauty and took it upon herself to help me find items that accentuated my good points and camouflaged my less desirable ones!  We even took pictures so I would put the outfits together correctly.



This one looked pretty good!



Never wore this belt
after seeing the picture!

 


Where O Where did my little waste go??



 I have a tendency to be 'style challenged', having no clue about what goes together best. I’m improving in that department with practice!  Even with Rebekah's encouragement, I wasn’t always convinced that I looked good, as my eyes went directly to the oversized areas of my body.  However, it did help me feel better about myself and how I looked.

What made me give up was just something that clicked in my brain. Nothing was working and I had started gaining some weight. The new outfits were a bit tighter!  I figured what's there to loose?  ---- I’d never tried this new approach----being happy fat.  So why not give it a try??  

I don’t want you to think I was REALLY trying to eat well. I loved ice cream, bread, fruits, pastries, on and on. So it wasn’t like I was REALLY trying. However, I soon realized that this new approach was not going well. It gave me license to eat more—after all, I was now going to be happy fat!  Thus I soon gained 10 more pounds very rapidly. I now had a muffin top, rolls of fat in areas that had always been lean and I became convinced that ‘fat and happy’ was not for me!  But what could I do?  Nothing was working! 

All was not loss---there was and is hope and light at the end of the tunnel for all of us. We will get through this tunnel in due time! I will catch you up to the end of that tunnel soon, as I am already approaching it rapidly!!! YEA!! In the mean time, Thanks for visiting with this  "Babyboomergrandma". 
My journey is in its beginning stages at month #8 now, but this is a life time journey!  Until next time, may God richly bless YOUR life.