Update

It has been a while since I blogged. My weight has been about the same with a pound or two drop. I have been sticking to the healthier foods but my volume needs to drop. I have been going to the gym more since my grandson joined. Daughter wants to join now, too. I have been tired this past week with some stress. My son had a parole hearing today. It went good but there won't be an answer for several weeks. These hearings bring up a lot of emotion for me due to how young he was when he got in trouble, and how long he has had to serve for this extreme and unusual sentence. Anyway I did not use food to medicate my feelings, though and I need to be mindful of that.

Also, looking back to two years ago when we last saw the parole board there have been changes in our lives. Good changes. Two years ago it was but four days after the sudden death of my grandson's other grandmother and his instant move in with me. I was still reeling from that. I was heavier and was in the midst of figuring out where we were all going to move. And, since my move I have met many supportive people, even men who were once in trouble who are doing good and living purposeful lives. The support groups out here have helped me make new and meaningful contacts and I have a much better network of support. I rarely isolate. I can't. I have too many people in my life today to hide out.

So I used this experience, in part, to reflect on the positive changes in my life. My grandson and daughter are doing great. My daughter's GPA was a 4.0 in spite of her many absences from school due to illnesses. My grandson's grades were up and down but he is upbeat with his new appetite for fitness and generally in a much better frame of mind than he was a couple of months ago at the onset of his depression. And, since two years ago when he came to live with me there have been many improvements in his life, physical and mental health. He plays in the jazz band and the band at school. He is not on any medication and he has is at a normal weight.

I like to take the opportunity to look at the good things in life whenever I can. I have been in a slump off and on for a little bit but I am far better off than I ever was in my life. I use my experiences to learn and grow. I have been browsing some college information the past couple of days because I want to make use of the tuition reimbursement benefit at my job. I may be taking a class or two in the near future. I don't want to spend money on it out of my own funds because looking at college tuition has been a big reality check for me regarding my daughter's educational needs. All I can say is Yikes! She is interested in a private college nearby and I'd love her to go there. But I saw the price tag....I don't want her to incur that much debt...so I may be looking at setting up a fund. Sheesh. I may need to take a second job. Grandson will qualify for grants and aid based on financial needs. But daughter would have to disclose my income. Anyway who knows what can happen in the next three years...but its coming up. I am just glad she is planning to go to college and use her smarts.

I want to start tracking my weight better. I have been on the scale less often. I find I lose better when I check in every day. It keeps me in reality!

More will be revealed!