187.6 TLC

I keep driving by this poor cactus. Actually, it's not so poor. It is being well cared for in spite of its issues. The issues the saguaro (pron. sue-are-o) cactus faces are familiar. If it takes in too much (water is its nemesis, and we had a very rainy winter this year), it begins to lean and will eventually topple over if not given support. It touches me to see how much TLC goes into protecting these very special plants.

These plants weigh between 3200 and 4800 pounds, depending on their size and the number of arms they have. While being held up, the job of the cactus is to stabilize itself by drying out so that it weighs less and can eventually support itself. What's really amazing is that each of these mighty plants has one tap root that grows down about 2 feet, and then has another root system that is only 4"-6" deep that spreads as wide as the cactus is tall.

I've been thinking that we all need to take care of ourselves with TLC, just like these plants receive when they are in trouble. So if you are struggling, get some help, either from a professional, a good friend, or perhaps, me. You can always email me at smbmiller@cox.net if you have questions or want to chat about what is going on with your weight loss. I'd love to be a part of your support system.

And by the way, if you want to read more about these majestic cacti go to http://www.desertmuseum.org/kids/oz/long-fact-sheets/Saguaro%20Cactus.php.

194.2 How Do You Know?

We had a great time in Prescott. This morning we met my sister and her husband for breakfast and then headed down to Scottsdale. About 30 miles outside of Prescott I remembered that my scale was still at my cousin's house. You know how you get distracted when you are trying to do a lot at once? I remember thinking I needed to get it out of the bathroom, and then I didn't think about it until we were well on our way. I liked having my own scale with me, but now what? I have my old scale that is very fickle and unreliable. But that's what I will use until I get my favorite one back.

My sister and I had a good conversation about when you are older how do you know if it's worth it to lose weight. If you feel pretty good and have no immediate health issues, and even though you may look heavy, what does it take to push you over the line into the place where you take action and commit yourself to new behaviors? I have a hunch if I knew the answer to that I could sell it on the internet and make big money. Any ideas?

205.2 Why and Now What?

Here's a thought... Was hitting the wall on my jewelry a reflection of hitting the wall on the weight loss? Hmmm. Perhaps it is obvious to some, but until today I hadn't put the two together.

Which leads me to the larger question of why... Why am I here? What meaning has my life had, and what meaning do I want it to have as I go forward? Since facing retirement, my life has been consumed in large part with dealing with health issues, not life threatening, but life changing. Fortunately, the importance of those issues has diminished, especially over the last year, to the point where my life is not constrained in the same way it has been over the past 5 to 6 years. So, now what?