Birdy Takes Flight

[sksamboots]

Hope your weekend is great

[Birdy]

Letha and sksamboots thank you both for your well wishes. My weekend hasn't been great, but it's almost over and tomorrow my mother catches a plane home to Georgia. I'm exhausted. Last night she was up from about 2:00 a.m to 4:30 a.m. making lots of noise. Even my 13 year old daughter couldn't take it anymore and went to a friend's house tonight so she can get some sleep. Anyway, tomorrow IS a new day.

As mentioned in an earlier post, we leave Wednesday early for a visit to California with my husband's family. I'll check back in a couple of weeks.

[Mrs. Doodlepunk]

Birdy, have a great trip.

[Anna Green]

Oh Birdy, sorry you are having such a hard time. Hope the trip is relaxing and you rejuvenate.

[sksamboots]

Sorry your weekend wasn't good. Hope you get some much needed rest, very soon

[Birdy]

Still in California, but thought I'd post a hello. I'm doing pretty well sticking to a vegan diet while here and not worrying about oil etc. For a couple of meals I had some foods containing cheese and was so congested the next day or two. It's not worth it. It's so beautiful here in Santa Cruz. We went to the ocean yesterday and swam. Am getting lots of walking. I'm hoping to get home and find that I've lost some weight! I'll post again later in the coming week when I get home. All the best to you all!

[Anna Green]

Good to hear what you are up to and that you are getting so much exercise. Hope it's been rejuvenating.

[Birdy]

Hi Anna. Our trip was rejuvenating. I didn't lose any weight but didn't gain any either. So that's good. It was good to get home. I've had "vacation brain" all day and am tired today, but glad to be home. We spent two days in San Francisco being tourists - went to Fisherman's Wharf, Union Square, Chinatown and the very beautiful Grace Cathedral. I really wanted to dine at the famous Millennium Restaurant, but we missed that. Also, we had beautiful weather in Santa Cruz and spent part of every day there on the beach and swimming in the ocean. Gosh it's beautiful. I can't imagine being able to go there anytime I wanted like the residents can. After a while I suppose it gets ordinary, but that's hard to imagine. I was also pleased to see that most people who ride bicycles in Santa Cruz have big "grannie" bikes like my Raleigh which I've been a little embarrassed of until now. Everyone in my area rides these really streamlined bikes and I've felt like Grandma Moses on my bike. No longer!

On a different topic, did anyone get the latest newsletter from Dr. McD that appeared to be only partially complete? Maybe that's just the way it is this month.

[Birdy]

Hi everyone. I haven't posted in quite a while because I don't have too much to say. I'm pretty much still where I was when I started this journal. When I read so many other people's posts, I am simultaneously amazed at times by your successes, and in awe of anyone's ability to actually stay on the McDougall diet.

But on a positive note, I signed up for a membership at our local pool. It's clear that, because of pain and limited range of motion in my left shoulder, I won't be able to swim freestyle but I can do a side stroke, and swim with a kick board. Also, I can water walk. We'll see how it goes. Our local pool had a one day sale where you could join without paying an expensive initiation fee, so I took advantage of that. I'm looking forward to getting in the water! It will help with the arthritis in my back and maybe will help with the shoulder eventually. Anyone have experience with arthritis and swimming?

[Letha.]

On a different topic, did anyone get the latest newsletter from Dr. McD that appeared to be only partially complete? Maybe that's just the way it is this month.

Hi Birdy,
That’s so great you were able to get a deal on the use of the pool. The August newsletter looked pretty typical to me. A long rant about Larry King Live on Prostate Cancer Screening. A report on the 2009 Costa Rica Adventure. Plus 12 recipes from Mary McDougall. I always find it funny that we get the monthly newsletter on the last day of the month. I think Dr. McDougall must be pretty busy. I’ve actually gotten more emails from him than usual in recent weeks. I got three emails about his internet broadcast and one about speaking engagements on the west coast. I think it’s great that he’s working to spread the word. I hope lots more people learn about the McDougall plan and jump on board.
Letha

[Birdy]

Letha, thanks for "stopping by." I read the recent newsletter on Dr. McD's home site and found the info about their recent Costa Rica vacation and also the recipes. I don't know why the newsletter came through incomplete, but it's no problem since these are also posted online. I've been swimming and as soon as I got in the water, a deep sigh of relief passed through my whole body. I'm SO glad I joined. Even my shoulder did lots better than I thought it would and the day following my swim, my back didn't hurt at all for the first time in a long while. I'm planning to swim 3 times a week, starting with 20 minutes each session and increasing gradually. On other days I'll walk. And I'm trying to get motivated to do some strength training. Arthritis is really getting to be a limiting factor. One more reason to McDougall. My blood pressure has come down from 150/92 to 135/85 in two weeks of reducing salt in my cooking and food choices. I'm very happy about that. I know Dr. McD doesn't agree with salt reduction, but in my case it's helping. Now if I can just get to eating more strictly McDougall foods, I'll be in better shape soon! I can identify with Mrs. Doodlepunk's statement of "McDougalling sorta, kinda" for X amount of time. That's me, but she's doing better at it than I am. Keep on trying is my motto. Have a great day everyone and thanks for the inspiration that you all are to the rest of us.

[sksamboots]

Birdy,

Your doing great. Your also swimming--Just keepin swimming, just keep swimming. Fantastic. Keep on keepin on

[LauraA]

Hi Birdy - Thanks for the kind post on my journal, which brought my attention to your journal. I haven't been reading the journals regularly until the last few weeks. It looks like you were posting less around the time I started looking at them. Anyway, I'm really enjoying yours! My daughter and her family live in Seattle, so I'm out there usually a couple of times a year. It is so beautiful there! I'm excited about my trip on Thursday to Kansas City. I'm sorry that I won't have a bike there, but I'm really determined to keep up my exercise! Take care, LauraA

[Birdy]

Wow, Laura, I just noticed that you've lost 45 pounds. That's fantastic. That's a lot of weight. I hope you have a great time in KC. Today I didn't do well with food or exercise, but oh well. Tomorrow's another day. One of my daughters has an ovarian cyst and I'm taking her to a specialist for evaluation tomorrow. My other daughter broke her ankle in three places playing sports. I'll take her to a specialist Monday and she'll probably be put in a cast. Always something. My brother and his wife arrive the next day on Tuesday for a week long visit and are the last of a long string of visitors this summer. I'm looking forward to their visit. Except for my mother's visit, everyone has been pleasant and great to be with. On a totally different topic, my husband is putting up a greenhouse (plastic one) and I'm unexpectedly delighted by it. He's always wanted one and decided to build it. Guess he just needed a guy project and he loves to build. Anyway, I don't know the first thing about greenhouses or growing stuff in them, but I'm excited. I ordered a book about greenhouses, but it hasn't come yet. sksamboots thanks for your little swimming song Did you ever see those Leo Leonni children's books and in particular the one about fish swimming, featuring Swimmy? Your post made me think of that. Funny. Hope you're having a wonderful day. Vibe me for making it through tomorrow as a McDougaller (in full compliance!).

[sksamboots]

The greenhouse sounds like so much fun!! Have fun with your visitors