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Year Four, Day 225: TOWANDA!

I felt exceptionally good Sunday morning.  It was Day 4 of my plant focused eating. I am loving it. I actually crave vegetables. Every meal finds me trying to get more in!

I had a lovely spinach/feta wrap with my Sunday morning coffee here at my favorite Starbucks, where everyone knows your name. Well at least my favorite barista does!

Here is me looking lovingly at my lovely spinach/feta wrap:


I am particularly joyful with my spinach/feta wrap because I almost broke my fast the night before. I had a long day teaching at the Music Center, getting my students ready for the end of term piano recital.  I had planned on heading out to my son's fiance's house to visit my grandbaby.  But her mom was in the hospital. She had fallen at work, cut her leg which had then become quite infected.  So they were keeping her overnight at the hospital, watching the leg and possibly doing surgery the next day.

I was feeling a little helpless. I wanted to be there to offer my assistance, but Sunday was an even busier day for me than Saturday.  I was playing the piano and organ in church in Vancouver and then heading over to Portland to prepare for my student's end of term piano recital.

I told them I could come help out Sunday evening after the recital, or Monday with my daughter.

In addition to all of the above, I was home alone with the dog until Sunday evening.  So the little demon that sits on my left shoulder started whispering in my ear. Who would know if I picked up a bag of vinegar and salt potato chips, clam dip, diet coke, a chocolate bar, and a movie and hunkered down with the dog?

Thankfully, the little angel that sits on my right shoulder kicked that little demon's butt!  "You would know!" she said! "And it's not worth breaking your fast to feel bloated and guilty the next day!"

She was right.  I went home and did hunker down with Honey Dog. But I just had a Diet Cherry Coke over ice. I  know.  Soda - Bad!  But I figured a deserved a bit of a break!

Amazingly the caffeine did not mess with  my sleep. In fact, I slept better than usual!

I played very well in church. And this was the best piano student recital I've ever had. Of course, I say this each year. All my students always do well. They have amazing, positive, enthusiastic attitudes. I think what makes it better each year is my attitude.

I've gotten pretty dang good about giving recitals. I have a system that works.  And I'm not a bit nervous speaking in public anymore.

After all I've been through in the last few years, nothing much scares me anymore!

Speaking of which, I have a funny, weird little story of how I conquered an annoying situation that has become increasingly aggravating.

In fact, I felt quite empowered.

Today is Tuesday, 12/16/2019. I didn't blog yesterday. I was exhausted from the weekend.  And happily, I got to spend some time with my grandson.

Today, I woke up again quite exhausted. And sore. (I need a good gym workout and a hooping session.)  I started the morning bright and early with breakfast with my mom. I broke my plant focused eating regimen since we went to Burger King for breakfast. But I'm o.k. with that since I am not officially vegan. Just plant focused!  At home, my mom visited and then  I babysat my granddaughter as usual.  I made a breakfast casserole for the rest of the family and I ate my plant focused dishes from the last few days:  Lentil loaf, brown rice, grean peas and collard greens.

Then it was off to the catch the bus to Portland. Today was my counseling appointment and one high school piano student who has been too busy applying for college to practice for recital.

On the bus ride, I didn't knit or read. I just played Words with Friends. It is my stress relief. I've gotten quite qood and am trying to raise my average word score.

However, I am still quite annoyed with the random men I play who try to strike up conversations with me. I've even changed my screen name to "R U Talking to Me? Don't!"  Then if someone asks me how I am, where I'm playing from, etc., I gently tell them hello, good luck in the game, but I am not interested in chatting. At which point I get all kinds of begging, pleading, pursuading, arguing, etc. I've had to block several dudes.

Curiously, they all sound the same. Bad grammar, poor spelling. But their pictures are handsome middle aged men.  Something fishy is going on!

I've even tried to figure it out. I've asked them if they realize Words with Friends is not a dating site? I tell them I have no interest in idle chat, it bores me, I am just playing the game for fun before work.

No luck. Very annoying conversations. And I, embarrassingly get personally offended and agitated!

Until today. Something clicked. I think it is the work my therapist is doing with me. I recall he gently suggested that I take myself too seriously. Then he asked me what I do for fun.

"Fun?" I looked at him like he was speaking another language.  He might as well have.  I do not really take part in any leisurely activities. I used to eat. Recreationally.  Meet friends for lunch and dinner.  Eat vinegar and salt potato chips, clam dip, Diet Coke and chocolate while reading Women's World  or Healthy Eating magazines.  (My face is red now, at this confession!)

I told him I read and play Words with Friends. But I haven't read a good escape novel lately. And no movies hold my interest.

Anyway, today I broke free!  When a random man said hello and asked me where I was playing from, I answered, "Hi." "On the bus".

"No, no!", He answered immediately.  Where are you from originally?"

Whereupon I replied, "My mother's womb!"

LOL!  I actually laughed out loud on the bus. I even snorted a bit. The other passengers looked up from their cell phones briefly. And then back down.

I apologized to random Word with Friends man. I told him I only play the game on the bus before work. Not a chatter.

I have not heard a peep from him since.

But I am leading our game, but over 100 points!

I wanted to scream "TOWANDA!" at the top of my lungs! This is one of my favorite words. A dear friend of mine who used to live two houses down from me used to say it to me quite often.

It's from the movie Fried Green Tomatoes. I googled "Towanda" just now. Apparently it could be the Osage Indian word for rushing waters.

I think of it more like, "I am woman, hear me roar!"

But I was happy to hear of it's Osage origin. As a Little House on the Prairie fanatic, I loved the pilot episode where Laura and Pa befriend the Osage chief who ends up saving their family from slaughter.

I don't really want to end this post on the word slaughter, but I need to run.

So, I leave you with TOWANDA!


Love,


Zita

P.S. No hooping video today. I intend to change that tomorrow!

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