It's Halloween and My First Ever Costume Party

I know it's hard to believe but this will be the first costume party of my adult life, and maybe even ever...The only Halloween party I can remember going to was when I was 6 years old, and temporarily living in Maine.  I was attending school there during the month of October.  Imagine that.  A first grader who had been very sheltered during those first 6 years, being pulled out of her class and moved nearly a thousand miles away among people she didn't know.  I barely knew my cousins, and they were some years older than I was.  Our reason for being there during the school year was that my Grandmother was in the hospital.  That was the only time during my school career that I ever rode the bus.  Thank goodness I did have cousins going to the same school.  

So, I did go to a Halloween party somewhere, but I don't expect I had a costume, and I don't remember anything else about it...it's just a vague memory.  Sadly, there is no one left who can tell me anything about it.

Moving on to modern times, our Cheers group is having a Halloween-themed get together tomorrow night.  Now, I've know for about 3 weeks that I needed costumes and here it is tomorrow and I'm not ready.  Shame on me!  In my defense, there has been a lot going on in our lives.  My best friend is very creative, and I was hoping we could work up something, but she has a busy life of her own being a 2nd grade teacher with 2 kids of her own.  She gave me some ideas, but not being very creative in that area myself, I didn't get very far.  We have had some family crises going on so hubby hasn't been able to participate in selecting a costume for himself, and I'm still figuring that out.  I have a few ideas, but not much to work with, and I'm too cheap to spend the bucks on something that'll only be worn once.

Anyway, here is what I've come up with for me.  I bought a silver cape with a spider web design and a black top.  I think I'll make a red hour glass design for the front, wear with black pants and shoes and go as a "black widow".  Did I mention that I lack creativity?  What's your costume this year?  I would love to hear about your Halloween costumes or parties you've been to.

Pinocchio's and Toys for Tots

There is a lovely little Italian restaurant in Spencer, NC called Pinocchio's.  The atmosphere is warm and friendly and the food is delicious.  Giuseppe, the chef, is a creative force in the kitchen, and Tracy keeps everything else running smoothly.  This year they will be joining Toys for Tots as a donation point.  Here is what Tracy said in her weekly e-mail. 

"It's going to be a particularly rough year for young families to afford Christmas shopping, so Pinocchio's is a donation point for Toys for Tots.  Just write a check made payable to Toys for Tots and bring it in when you come to dinner; I will take it, match it 50 cents on the dollar through my book company, and get a whole bunch of Fun Kid Kits to our local kids.  Your cancelled check is 100% tax deductible".

I hope you can join them for dinner sometime soon.  You'll leave with a happy tummy and a warm fuzzy feeling, and no I don't mean from the wine either. So drop off a check, and help make Christmas for the children.

Quote of the Week

People are so worried about what they eat between Christmas and the New Year, but they really should be worried about what they eat between the New Year and Christmas.  

- Author Unknown

Some worry that they'll eat too much, and others view the holidays as a license to eat everything they deny themselves the rest of the year.  If we just follow the "everything in moderation" rule we would be much better off all year round.

The Maze Within the Maize

Yesterday, I got a call from our good friends, you know the folks from the Rose Garden posts earlier, asking if we'd like to go a corn maze with them and the kids. Of course! It was a beautiful day after the rain moved out - it poured this morning.

We followed the directions on the website (this actually took us the long way around but it was short notice and I didn't have time to check the directions against the mapping software) Anyway, we got there and they were already there, and had been swinging on the swings.

In addition, there were sandboxes, pole ball games, bean bag toss, water balloon for sling-shotting (probably not a word) and a corn cannon for the kids. There was also a cow train, mostly for kids too, but I did see some very large "kids" on it. We all went on a hayride around the farm, several small lakes and some muddy hills. This was a farm wagon loaded with hay bales pulled by a tractor. It was a $1 extra per person for the ride, but the scenery was gorgeous. I wondered several times if the tractor was going to make it up the muddy hills, and the back end nearly dragged the ground in places. We were seated near the back, so the ride was a little tilted at times.

The feature activity was, of course, the corn maze. They said it was 7 acres, and the maze was in the shape of the United States. The paths were wide and maneuvering was not difficult. We were given ariel view maps (see the link below for picture), and there were strategically placed "you are here" signs throughout. The pictures were taken when the corn was green, and now it is quite dried and brown. Nevertheless, it was fun. We joked about trying it in the dark with flashlights. The places closes at dark, though, which is probably good.

There are food and beverages available for purchase. The fun all takes place at the 2009 Alpha Acres Corn Maze, in connection with the Winston-Salem Rescue Misson. I believe this was a fund-raising event.

Weight Loss: Is it realistic?

This is directed toward those with minor weight gain, but still within safe weight and body mass indicators, not those with severe weight problems that may require more drastic measures such as surgery or a medically supervised weight loss program.

After years of battling weight gain issues, this is what I have concluded:

There is no secret to weight loss, no magic pill, or potion, no other legitimate way other than to eat less and exercise more. Calories in, calories out. It's as simple as that.  However, there are things you can do to make the journey to a slimmer you easier.

• It takes 3,500 calories to make a pound.  Every 3,500 calories you take in that you don't burn off adds another pound of weight to your body.  To lose weight, you need to either eat an average 500 fewer calories per day or burn 500 more calories through exercise, or a combination of both.  

• You don't have to give up the foods you love; all things in moderation. You can still eat at your favorite fast food place.  The key is moderation. Don't load up on the extras.  Super-sizing is a no-no.  After you have determined your calorie needs, then look at the nutrition charts for each restaurant.  Many fast food restaurants have this information on-line. Just google the restaurant name and the word "nutrition", and it should take you to that area of the web site.  Armed with this information, you can choose something that fits your new lifestyle.  We don't call it a diet here.

• Eating 5 or 6 smaller meals throughout the day will keep your body fueled with energy and help fight hunger.  

• Make sure you eat enough food.  You've heard all your life that breakfast is the most important meal of the day.  This is true. If you skip breakfast your body will go into starvation mode.   If you don't eat enough, your body thinks it is starving and will start to consume muscle for energy instead of fat.  Your muscle mass is key to burning calories.  Use this muscle for energy and your metabolism will slow down, you may stop losing weight, or even gain weight.  This can happen in as few as 3 days of extremely low calorie intake.  In other words, you can sabotage your weight loss program by eating too little.

• Drink plenty of water.  Some experts recommend 8 glasses per day.  This will also help keep your metabolism on an even keel.

• Exercise.  There are countless sources touting their exercise plans and as many guidelines as to how much, and how often to exercise.  One thing to keep in mind when creating your own exercise routine is to keep it balanced.  There are 3 major types of exercise:  Cardio, such as cycling or aerobics, or even just walking, which increases the heart rate and burns fat.  Strength training (using weights or other forms of resistance), which helps strengthen, tone and build muscle mass.  Flexibility and core training such as yoga and pilates to keep you limber and reduce the chance of injury while performing everyday tasks.  A well-rounded exercise program should incorporate each of these types of exercise.

I advocate neither the "ultra-thin, size 2 or else look" nor the "there's just more of me to love" look.  It is all about finding your healthy weight, and learning how to maintain it.