Good Stuff

Remember when Oprah used to do those shows with all her favorite things? And she would give them all away to everyone in the audience? That was the first place I saw Ugg boots. Anyway, today's post is going to be a little bit like that. Except not.

I have been somewhat of a Debbie Downer lately. You might have noticed this. People have told me they enjoy reading about my whinyness, but you nice people should not encourage my bad behavior. I am trying to turn a corner, despite my hormonal imbalances and my situation involving estrogen dominance (which causes a VERY long list of symptoms I can't even bear to reveal to you but one of them is BELLY FAT) so I am sucking it up and writing today about some good stuff.

I have been reading (at my very intelligent husband's suggestion) a blog written by James Altucher. He is the author of many books, including Choose Yourself. (This ebook is currently on sale for a reduced price of $2.99 through Amazon. I have not read this book yet, but plan to, as we already own it on our Kindle.) If you'd like to read yet another blog, I am enjoying this one. He is smart, funny, and almost always uplifting. Full of great advice about being your own advocate and your own best friend. He does not write about diet, nutrition, food, or women's health.

The kale chips I got at Trader Joe's this week were another good thing. You know I am on the Whole 30 and have been more than slightly resentful this week about eating nothing but healthy, whole foods. (Poor me, my diet is perfect.) But the kale chips tasted fantastic. Crunchy and spicy. And they contain nothing naughty. Just kale, cashews, carrot powder, and some seasonings.

And my hostas are blooming. Did you know they have a lovely, sweet, subtle fragrance? I just discovered this fact after growing them for 13 years.

And I've started swimming laps in my pool this year after owning it for 13 years. My husband bought me a pair of Italian goggles which work absolutely perfectly so I can now put my face in the water like a big girl. Every day, I swim one more lap. I am up to 14 laps so far. The pool is freezing cold since we don't have a way to heat it, so my laps have been very refreshing. I plan to continue until we have to close up the pool.

One more good thing: I seem to be losing weight from my feet. Not that they were fat before. But I guess I should appreciate the good stuff wherever I can find it. Of course, I'd prefer not to have estrogen dominance and this stubborn belly fat, but I'm sure lots of people find skinny, bony feet attractive. Right?

Here's a weird coincidence. Today is Friday the 13th. And the number 13 has popped up in this post 3 times now. Stranger than fiction!