What's Up, Besides my Thumbs?

Thumbs up: Happy dance, happy dance – the college applications are done!  My son has already gotten accepted at his safety schools so we know he’ll be going somewhere next year.  Now the waiting begins since he won’t hear from his top picks until spring.

Thumbs up: I got some great healthy living gifts for the holidays.  There is the hula hoop that will hopefully whittle my waist and the P90X dvd program that should work every part of me!

Thumbs down: Talk about Waisting Time.  Sigh.  I have not been able to do any core exercises for several weeks now as I waited to see a surgeon about my possible hernia.  I can’t remember the last time I went so long with not so much as a single crunch!  My waist is going to waste.  And, thumbs way down, I will be having hernia surgery next week.  More on that when it gets closer.

Thumbs up: My formerly picky-eating son came home from college and suggested we try making Dal.  Dal!  He has dinner with friends (who do the cooking) most Friday nights and since one of the guys is a vegetarian, my son has been experiencing many new tastes.  Thumbs down that the recipe he shared didn’t turn out quite the way it does when his friends make it; we suspect they must add some secret flavor-boosting ingredient.  Thumbs up for my first time cooking lentils and for planning to try Dal again with a different recipe.

Thumbs up: Gingerbread.  Hot from the oven.  Smells and tastes like Christmas.  Thumbs down:  Gingerbread.  Hot from the oven.  Need I say more?  Thumbs up:  Gingerbread sitting on the counter, uneaten by me, the day after Christmas and the day after that and…

Thumbs up: Tea.  Again, I know.  But I got a few new ones in my stocking this year and they are yummy.  Thanks to Nan for telling me about them so I could give Santa a little hint.  My favorites:  chocolate strawberry and coconut cocoa flavored!

Thumbs up: For the first time in several years I have been approved for individual medical coverage and am no longer a proud member of my state’s high risk insurance pool!  I’d do more happy dancing but I don’t want to risk breaking a bone and having to actually use that new insurance.  Big FYI for anyone who has individual coverage (not carried by an employer’s plan) – check with your insurance company to see if you should be changing plans to be eligible for the new changes thanks to health care reform.  We accidentally discovered that many people, like my husband, are grandfathered under their current plans so are actually ineligible for the new benefits.  Thumbs down for sneaky insurance companies.

Thumbs up: Two words:  Katy Widrick.  She is a social media and healthy living guru.  (My words, not hers.)  I have learned tons from her blog and appreciate the things she has done to grow the community.  Along those lines, Katy is looking for bloggers to participate in an anonymous survey.  You can read more about it here.  I already took the survey and am curious to see the results.  Interesting stuff; check it, and her blog, out.

Thumbs up: My first giveaway!  At least I think that’s a thumbs up.  Felt like a blog milestone, somehow.

Thumbs up, up, up: Thank you for the overwhelming and encouraging feedback when I put myself out here and posted my photo.  I was scared.  But I should have known that you would once again wrap your arms around me.  I cannot say enough about how warm and fuzzy you made me feel.