new government dietary guidelines

Do you remember the food pyramid? When I was in school, admittedly a few years ago, we learned what was good to eat with a pyramid diagram. As I recall carbs were on the bottom, although we called it grains then, meat and vegetables somewhere in the middle and sugar in the tip. Not too bad, now that I think about it, but today on the news they announced that the government has come out with new dietary guidelines.  According to these guidelines less than 10% of our daily diet should consist of added sugars, less that 10% fat, less that 2300 milligrams of sodium per day and, for women, 1600 to 2400 calories per day.  I was contemplating these guidelines as I enjoyed a delicious little cheese cake for dessert this evening. I think I like the old pyramid better. The bigger the tip, the bigger the base, right?

power ball woes

Well, I've lost again. I am not the winner of the $524,100,000.00 big prize. I know this already, and they haven't even announced the numbers yet.  If you don't buy a ticket you can't win. I thought about buying a ticket a few days ago when the big prize was a mere 345,000,000.00 but I forgot.
They just showed the numbers and not one of them was a number I would have chosen.  So I guess the moral is, if I want to play the lottery, remember to buy a ticket and take randomly selected numbers.  Or, i could just save my money.

Discipline

In church on Sunday, which was Epiphany Sunday, everyone in the congregation was given a card with a single word on it as an Epiphany gift. We were told to keep this word somewhere where we would see it every day and consider how it might become a gift of the spirit for us.  It was suggested that we look up the various definitions and consider how our word might apply to each of us in 2016.  My word was discipline. I was pretty sure I knew what my word meant but I looked it up. As a noun it can mean "the practice of training people to obey rules or a code of behavior, using punishment to correct disobedience." That seems a bit harsh for a gift from the spirit, and I don't even have a cat to discipline any more, not that anyone can discipline cats. It can also mean "a branch of knowledge typically one studied in higher education." That definition fits in a little better with what I've been thinking lately  I need to find a discipline, something creative or productive. I've eliminated taking up knitting or crocheting because I wouldn't want to inflict my creations on anyone.  I've also decided against music lessons of any sort.  I'm afraid the other tenants would rise up in arms. So I shall continue my quest for something fulfilling that won't annoy anyone.

The Biggest Loser is back!

One of my favorite reality TV shows started its new season this evening.  I'm not sure what the fascination is to me but I enjoy seeing the transformation in the participants on this show.  Note - I enjoy SEEING this transformation.  I have no particular desire to exercise incessantly myself.  But somewhere deep down I think if did, I could look great too.  Between watching the show and tracking my daily activity on my FitBit maybe I will get a little more active this year.  Wow, that sounds almost like a New Year's resolution.  I'll have to give this more thought, right after I finish my cookie.

Hooked again...

I don't think I have a particularly addictive personality but evidently I do, at least when it comes to my entertainment choices.  I made the choice this evening to watch the first episode of the final season of Downton Abbey.  I guess I know what I'll be watching on Sunday evenings from now through March.  Blame it on great story lines, excellent actors and those elegant British accents.

Happy Perehelion Day!

Just when I thought all of the year end holidays were over the weather lady on this evening's news show explained that today is the day each year that the earth is closest to the sun, an event known as Perehelion. Who knew?  I was shopping at Target earlier today and saw a huge display of Valentine candy and cards already on display but not a single Perehelion card.  On the other hand I was shopping with my youngest granddaughter and while we were driving she commented several times on how bright the sun was.  I just assumed that it seemed bright because we've just come through more than a week of cloudy days, but maybe it really was brighter than usual???

New Year's Resolution

I hereby resolve that I will not participate in the Polar Plunge next New Year's Day.  I will not run splashing and yelling into one of the local icy cold rivers, not even the one right outside my building.  Of course I never have participated in this event in the past so this should be a pretty easy resolution to keep, just add it to my list of things I never want to experience.