Whew - Got 'R Done!

Got what done?  A project?  Deep cleaning?  Cooking?  No, no, no.  Something more important than all of those (in my opinion)!  I apologize in advance if you feel any of this is TMI.  :)

If you are 40 or older or even near 40, then you know that there is a certain appointment that women dread.  A supposedly very painful, possibly humiliating sort of appointment that involves flattening some things.  I turned 40 last April and I was determined to git 'r done before I turned 41 (hey - look at me - a month and a half to spare - LOL)!  I had that appointment today!  Yay - pat on the back for me!

And you know what?  It's no.big.deal.  I am blessed to have an HMO with a radiology department that lets you walk in for a mammogram - no appointment needed.  I decided (and prayed for strength) that today was THE day, no matter what.  I even made a call and delayed a coffee date with a friend to make sure I had enough time.  It was quick and easy!  It truly was not near as bad as I imagined it would be.  Was it pleasant?  No.  Was I being a big baby about it for no good reason?  Yes.  Did I reward myself with Starbucks afterward?  Yes.  :)

If you haven't had one yet, here are a few tips:

~ Make your appointment for sometime within 2 weeks of your last cycle for less sensitivity.
~ You can take ibuprofen before you go (I did, but am not sure it was even necessary or if it had even kicked in yet).
~ Don't wear any deodorant, perfumes, or lotions as the residue could interfere with the x-ray.
~ Don't be embarrassed at having a stranger doing the, ahem...positioning, 'cause she's a medical professional and she does it all.day.long.
~ Speak up if you are in a lot of pain.  It should be uncomfortable, unpleasant, and maybe hurt a teensy bit, but not be extremely painful.
~ Don't panic if you are called back so they can double-check something.  That does NOT mean you have cancer.  Apparently this can often happen on the first one as there's nothing to compare it to so they will fully check out anything that looks abnormal.
~ My HMO recommends having a first mammogram at 40 and then annually thereafter.  If you have higher risk due to family history of breast cancer, you should talk to your doctor to see if you should start sooner.

Any other tips?  Did you git 'r done?  Will you if you haven't yet?

Smiling in the sunshine,
Lisa  :)

Who Completes You?

I was listening to the radio the other day and heard the end of an interview that John Tesh did with some Dr.  She was mentioning how we shouldn't be looking to others to complete us, but rather ourselves.  She finished with "You complete you."  I have to say, I was disappointed to hear this message on a Christian radio station.  I understand that she's coming from a kind of self-esteem and taking care of yourself point-of-view, but in my opinion, this confusing message is part of the reason that women struggle so!

If I had to complete myself, I would be in big trouble my friends!  I am a lowly sinner and I would complete myself with selfish desires.  I am SO happy that I don't have to complete myself - there is only ONE who completes me - the Lord Jesus Christ!  Through Him and only through Him, I am whole.  But after Him, I look to my husband to complete me and there's nothing wrong with that!  When we got married, we became one flesh.  He is a part of me and I am a part of him, so how could I be complete without him?  Not to mention my son - who is truly a part of me and a part of his father.  He completes our family!

I'm not trying to be profound or anything here (hey - I haven't finished my cup of coffee yet - LOL), just sharing my thoughts.  It troubled me ever since I heard it the other day.

What do you think?  Who completes you?

Have a lovely day friends!

Smiling in the sunshine,
Lisa  :)

P.S.  I'm going to be doing a weight-loss post to join in with my friend Alicia, but I think for now I'll post it over at my healthy blog - sometime later today.

Happy Day After Valentine's Day!

We're not really big Valentine's Day celebraters here.  In fact, I posted last year on my other blog of things that I like better than roses or diamonds (plus I'd rather have it all throughout the year than just on one day!).  We did exchange a couple of small gifts, which was nice, and son even surprised me with a gift he made at school - so sweet!  And I did consume a raspberry mocha from Peet's coffee, which I figured is the sort of drink one should have on Valentine's Day.  :)

I did plan a dinner for the family which was all new recipes that I thought we'd all like.  Unfortunately, my timing didn't go as well as I had hoped (that is nothing unusual for me) and I crammed too many things into one day.  Dinner did happen, but we ended up eating it while watching Toy Story 3 since I had no time or room left to set a nice table!  However, we loved the movie (we've seen it before) and loved the food - yay!

My biggest mishap of the evening?

That would be instant strawberry ice cream (frozen strawberries, sugar, and heavy cream blended and poured in a shallow pan to freeze) spilled all down the freezer and even onto the floor.  We did have about half a pan left!  Of course this happened when I had a million other things to do in a short amount of time - LOL!

Ah, but there are always silver linings! 
 ~ I didn't have to clean up the ice cream that spilled on the floor as the dog licked it all up for me. 
 ~ My freezer is getting the good cleaning it desperately needed. 
 ~ Hubs and I will be consuming far less high-calorie ice cream which will mean less weight gain.  :)

Making me smile today:

My Valentine's gift from hubs - a set of devotionals I was hoping for!

Got any good Valentine's Day stories?  Have a lovely day friends!

Smiling in the sunshine though I know a storm is on its way,
Lisa  :)

I'm No Quitter

Well, I *officially* quit blogging on my main blog in December.  I didn't really feel led to come back other than an occasional post on my semi-secret blog (Letting the Words Out).  Over the last few days, I've felt a pull just to put something out there, but on a new blog.  I kept ignoring it as the thought of worrying about comments, e-mails, and more distractions from daily life might cause me to get further behind at home.

But after a lovely chat with a friend today, I realized what I could have - a place for friends to stop by and chat, a place for a quick hello and a hug, and a place to think upon the little blessings of the day.  No obligations, but an outlet for my thoughts and a place of encouragement to continue in the daily things I'm called to do.

I have no idea what to expect here, but you are always welcome friends!

Things I've been trying to ignore:
- large pile of clean dishes to put away
- dog drool marks on hardwood floors
- stacks of unsorted paperwork

Things making me smile today:
- 2 blooming daffodils in the back yard
- green hummingbird at the honeysuckle bush
- free Starbucks iced caramel latte
- chatting with friends

What are you trying to ignore?  What's making you smile?  Do share!

So I guess I can't really say I quit blogging...because here I am!  :)

Smiling in the sunshine,
Lisa  :)