Buns Again

[bunsofaluminum]

B: grape nuts and craisins; oat milk
L: chili mac w grilled vegs
D: Moroccan sweet potato stew I AM GOING TO COOK!


We ended up going to Costa Vida for dinner. I checked, and the beans and rice they put on their salads do not have added oil! The pico de gallo POSSIBLY might have some, as I thought I detected that glisten when I was asking for extra pico on my salad. Anyway, corn tortillas, veg salad w rice, beans, extra pico, no salad dressing. It works for me. There is a 2 T serving of guacamole in there. Seriously though...maybe I need to do a 30 day no eating out challenge...

My brother's bday is tomorrow and we're going to surprise him out to dinner. Olive Garden. I'll probably just have the minestrone, skip the salad, skip the breadsticks (not even tempted. Their breadsticks are NOT good. They taste like freaking saltines, no lie. Are they even a yeast based bread?) Anyway, going in with a plan. Think I'll eat something, so one bowl of minestrone is enough. I don't like the salad at Olive Garden either.

I bought Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease for my sister and had a conversation with her about it. She wanted to know how to saute without oil, or how do you cook something crispy without oil. I did tell her that crispy is quite difficult to achieve without oil, but sauteing is no big deal, use water. I said "maybe diet won't affect this at all, but give it three months. If it doesn't work, so be it. But if it works!!!" and she was very much into the idea that her intake is something entirely in her control. I guess she'll either give it the good ole college try, or she won't. At any rate, us siblings are getting together on the 14th. Another opportunity to find on plan food. We're going to order in, and have a fire in my bro's back yard. Looking forward to that! Love my brother and seeeester!

Eating just to satiation is working well for me. Usually my eyes are bigger than my stomach and I end up putting some of it in the fridge for later. Or tossing it. I'm doing that now and then.

One thing I think I really need to do is get a lighter calorie dense breakfast. Grape nuts are yummy and rib-sticking but dense. Also, I'm not following the 50/50 plate rule for brekkie. I think I should try and fix that, as well. Thing is, a bowl of cereal is about perfect first thing in the morning. No fuss, no muss. Going to think about that. Back in the day, when I was newish to this, and I'd lost down to about the high 190's but got stuck...Sacto Bob presented a challenge: Zero Processed. (heh there was an argument about whether refried beans are processed...this forum used to be FRAUGHT with ... well we had our battles, that's for sure ... ) Anyway, I'd lost like 40 ish pounds, and was stuck, and started a one month zero processed challenge AND GOT BELOW 190!!!!

What did I eat for breakfast those days? Probably nuked potatoes eaten out of hand while driving to client homes.

[bunsofaluminum]

B: banana bread
L: Spaghetti w. pea pesto and fresh tomatoes; cucumber slices
D: going out for my bro's bday. Olive Garden minestrone. going to eat a potato or something so one bowl of the soup will satiate.

Eating to satiation is a key. I'm finding that if I stop I either feel full right away, or within a few minutes, and I usually don't need more of anything until the next mealtime. And I've been remembering the 50% veggie rule for most meals. Hopefully we'll see a downswing on the scale. Currently down to 239, which is one lb down from the last weigh in.

~~~~~

Feeling a little melancholy this morning, for the strangest reason.

I found a YouTube video of Miley Cyrus and Jimmy Fallon surprising NYC subway patrons, singing a couple of songs for a random crowd. It was in 2017, and everyone was crowded around, singing and dancing, having a great time. A feel good video, if ever there was one. And then I realized that no one was wearing a mask, and there was zero social distancing, and it hit me how different things are right now, and I feel a little wistful.

When you think about it, my dad never experienced a pandemic. Possibly my grandparents were alive during the Spanish Flu pandemic, but they were little kids or possibly early teens? And so many people who were born and died without going through something like this...and so many people who ARE little kids, or even newborn babies. My 3 year old grandson who has a tiny mask to wear whenever they go out...once this has passed...IT WILL PASS...he might not remember it. Or it might influence his outlook for a long time. His mom and dad have always hosted gatherings with family or friends...but not this year ...it's just a bit sad, you know? And wondering how long we might be dealing with this...not much fun.

Ah...but it will pass.

Meanwhile, Wylie and my nephew set up some raised beds out back, and I am excited! We get to plan our garden over the winter, and get seeds and bulbs and baby plants. I want to plant zinnias! But really excited about my own supply of zucchini and I want to try cucumbers. There's a variety that grows really big, pale green, fresh citrusy flavor. Heh "Armenian Pale" is the variety and when I helped a gardener back a few years ago, she had a patch of these...gosh they're good.

I feel confident, because Wylie has a green thumb. He'll be right there to help And I'm thinking having this project to think about will help keep the winter blues away.

[bunsofaluminum]

Holy cow, just looked at the nutrition facts for OG Minestrone... 830 mg of sodium PER SERVING!!!

why is salt the only flavor? geez. And checking the marinara sauce with pasta...50% fat by calorie! 1048 mg of sodium.

[mandybee]

Buns, I wanted to thank you so much for the love and encouragement you have been sending my way.

I am going to start logging my food like you do so that I can see the trends of the weeks I do better than others. That's a great idea, thank you.

I wanted to tell you I'm sorry you were feeling melancholy today. I wanted to tell you I am thinking of you. We are living in such strange times and find myself blue for no real reason at all.

I had a similar blue moment today. My husband and I were driving on our way to take our dog to the vet and there was a lovely pumpkin patch and families running about....and they had masks on and I have to say I thought it was just...sad. You knew the kids were smiling and happy and excited but you couldn't see their little smiling mouths...thank goodness for their lit up eyes. But still. I wish things were different for them and all of us.

I'm so grateful and feel so blessed for so much so I try to focus on everything I have because it's an awful lot. I just miss the way it was like last year at this time. Thinking of you and sending you positive thoughts.

[bunsofaluminum]

Buns, I wanted to thank you so much for the love and encouragement you have been sending my way.

I am going to start logging my food like you do so that I can see the trends of the weeks I do better than others. That's a great idea, thank you.

I wanted to tell you I'm sorry you were feeling melancholy today. I wanted to tell you I am thinking of you. We are living in such strange times and find myself blue for no real reason at all.

I had a similar blue moment today. My husband and I were driving on our way to take our dog to the vet and there was a lovely pumpkin patch and families running about....and they had masks on and I have to say I thought it was just...sad. You knew the kids were smiling and happy and excited but you couldn't see their little smiling mouths...thank goodness for their lit up eyes. But still. I wish things were different for them and all of us.

I'm so grateful and feel so blessed for so much so I try to focus on everything I have because it's an awful lot. I just miss the way it was like last year at this time. Thinking of you and sending you positive thoughts.

Hi Mandybee

Thanks for dropping by! It's wonderful to remember that we're not alone. Everyone goes through these things...like being hit by a water balloon and you're suddenly in a different place emotionally. Remember in the spring, when everyone was quarantining...no one was so much as going out of their homes, no traffic anywhere, the geese and swans were walking the streets of London, there were wild boars grazing in highway medians in Belgium. So strange. Dolphins in the canals of Venice. The wonder of that, alongside the strangeness of staying home, and seeing grocery store shelves stripped of TP and dried beans and rice. SMH. What a year it's been.

Our family started talking about Thanksgiving, having it at my sister's. Because we've kept in contact with my brother and his wife, and my two daughters have been around once in a while, we all were feeling okay about getting together. There are a few family members who we haven't been around much, but we were thinking it would be fun and possibly worth the risk. Then, mid-morning, the governor comes out with a press conference/update on our situation here.

There is no statewide mask mandate in Utah, as the governor is leaving it up to county and city mayors, if they deem it appropriate for their area, and SLC has had a mask mandate since ??? mid summer I guess... Anyway, there they were, the governor, and the head of medical such-and-such, telling us that our Covid numbers are up, ICU's are at 95% capacity, and if we go out please wear a mask, and with the upcoming holidays, please rethink your plans to gather with people if you haven't been around them. Made me cry. Because it addressed almost seamlessly our family plans for Thanksgiving, and I don't want to NOT get together for yet another holiday.

We missed St Paddy's, and Easter. We didn't have our big family bday party over the summer, and now we're being told that gatherings are discouraged for the holidays, and I know that my son's wife isn't gonna want to do it, and I haven't seen my son or his wife and son in just ages. Family gatherings are one of the greatest joys in my life, and I miss everyone. In fact, Thanksgiving last year, everyone went to spouses' family gatherings, so my family wasn't together. We did something for Christmas and that was the last time we gathered.

And you're right about focusing on the blessings. It is my strongest weapon against depression/self-pity. Thinking about the multitudinous graces that abound in my life is powerful to bring my attitude around, that's for sure. It's a matter of time, and Covid is going to be less volatile, or possibly not max out our healthcare systems so much as more of us become exposed. I recently did the math, and the mortality rate for this illness is .03% a VERY low number. It's out there, but it isn't as dangerous as we think. We just need to hold on for a little bit longer.

~~~~~
B: two slices banana bread (this is no-added-fat, but made with white not wheat flour); grape nuts and oatmilk
L: Rice and chili; spinach
D: nuked potatoes, sugar snap peas, baby carrots


Out to Olive Garden for my bro's bday last night. I had the bottomless soup and salad. Had one small portion of salad (Oil dressing) and two bowls of minestrone (low fat but HIIIIIIGHGHHHHHH sodium) and two bites of the dessert he ordered: Chocolate lasagne, which is brownie layered w cream cheese frosting. Yes, I have gas today. Not worth the calories. AND we paid $52.00 for the privilege

So I have some serious thinking to do about dining out/ordering in. Can I decide, as a life choice, to fill up with on-plan dinner BEFORE going out to eat, then enjoying the company while sipping ice water and not eating the food? Even thinking about this on a purely monetary level, the food we ate last night was most decidedly NOT worth what we paid for it. And none of it was "worth the calories/fat and salt content" As for ambience hello? Olive Garden? Possibly going out for meals *might* be worth it, if we saved up and went to a really fancy place once a year and make it a genuinely special event. But I wouldn't want to miss my brother's bday dinner out. His wife surprised him with us being there when they arrived and it was fun, but I would have done better to fill up, then just sip a cocktail and have a tiny nibble of some sort to nurse while we visit. *shrug*

Got some thinking/deciding to do.

[moonlight]

Hi Buns,
I loved your water balloon analogy. Have you been hit by one lately?

Thinking about family gatherings in the midst of the pandemic, I feel your frustration. I haven't seen my mother since last Thanksgiving. I usually go in the spring, then summer, and fall. She lives a day's drive away. It can keep me up at night thinking about all the "what if's". Could you get everyone that plans to come to your family gathering to quarantine for 2 weeks before they come? Can you figure out how to do the whole gathering outside? Maybe just have people going into the kitchen to prep dishes. Could you cook your food at home and bring to the gathering? Use disposable plates and silverware. Sit a little further apart. I think these measures help lessen the chances of spreading infection and help with viral load if you are exposed. Chin up! We can get through this!

[bunsofaluminum]

Hi Buns,
I loved your water balloon analogy. Have you been hit by one lately?

Thinking about family gatherings in the midst of the pandemic, I feel your frustration. I haven't seen my mother since last Thanksgiving. I usually go in the spring, then summer, and fall. She lives a day's drive away. It can keep me up at night thinking about all the "what if's". Could you get everyone that plans to come to your family gathering to quarantine for 2 weeks before they come? Can you figure out how to do the whole gathering outside? Maybe just have people going into the kitchen to prep dishes. Could you cook your food at home and bring to the gathering? Use disposable plates and silverware. Sit a little further apart. I think these measures help lessen the chances of spreading infection and help with viral load if you are exposed. Chin up! We can get through this!

Hi Moonlight,

It's hard, isn't it? Not seeing family. I'm grateful that we rent from my mom. This would have been really bad for her, if she hadn't had company at home. We've been thinking about how to do it. Quarantining for 14 days is possible for one of my children, my mom, me. Everyone else works outside the home, including Wylie so that leaves me non-quarantined. And my mom, really. So yeah, quarantine is impossible. However, at this point we have hung out enough with family members, except my sister and her fam, and my oldest child and his fam...

Thinking about not doing Thanksgiving with my entire family makes me sad, but you're right. We'll get through it. Everything is temporary. We'll either develop herd immunity, or develop a vaccine, or the virus will weaken and people won't get as sick from it (though I bet it remains just as contagious with no change on that front)...anyway, it looks like we're probably going into a new year with it, and after this flu season is done...maybe things will taper off?

~~~~~

My weekend was a bit indulgent, with chocolate covered coffee beans, some pretzels, and some hot tamales. Been craving refried beans, so I'll probably make quesadilla style for lunch today. Had Not Chicken Soup and banana bread for brekkie.

B: not chicken soup; banana bread
L: quesadilla style; corn and rice; spinach
D: not chicken soup; broccoli

Sounds good.

Weight down about .5 lb. to 239 and some change. Eating to just satiation FTW!

[bunsofaluminum]

Yesterday evening my brother, sister, and I got together for a sibling night. We got take out, and had a fire in my brother's fire pit in his backyard. We talked and laughed SO MUCH. What a fun time. I'm talking "abs workout laughter" and it was very much needed. Best stress relief I've had in ages.

I ordered curry, which has coconut milk. High fat. Otherwise my eating yesterday was smack dab spot on. Oooh but did I ever have heartburn at bedtime! oy. I did eat just to satiation, and that was tough because hello? Curry? But seriously, I need to not eat food fixed outside my own kitchen. Hmmm...it's Oct 15, halfway through the month. I wonder if I should do a mini-challenge of no outside food for 30 days...11/15/2020...hmmmm... I mean, it's been pretty frequent lately.

Going to make a big batch of minestrone today Got all the ingredients in the house, and going to go for it Soup Season!

B: grape nuts w blueberries; oatmilk
L: ramen veg soup
D: minestrone

[bunsofaluminum]

Last night my husband made us BOTH an appointment with Sonobello, a local liposuction vendor. This is not something I want to do AT ALL. Don't even want to go to the "consultation" because it's gonna be a hard sell FOR SURE. And I'm not interested in having my skin peeled away and a suction tube shoved in there to suck out my fat cells. Heh...not interested in paying big money out of pocket for the privilege of this actually dangerous procedure. There's no way our insurance is going to cover such a service. No way. Even consulting with a bariatric specialist cost me $40 copay, you know? Even a stomach surgery wouldn't be covered without a prior-auth. No way something purely cosmetic will be covered. I am ZERO interested in this...

Thing is, he has lost about 30 lbs in the past few months, so he doesn't REALLY need liposuction, you know? It's dropping from him thanks to portion control, pretty much. This is his way of saying "Maybe "we" can get some fat out of the way in a hurry, honey because you know "we" need to lose weight"

Well, in August I followed MWL to a T, and lost 9 lbs, five of which was water weight, so I'm counting it as a 4 lb weight loss. Since then...for the past six weeks... I've followed pretty closely, though I've had two rich meals for family events and have eaten out twice, with possibly high sodium but low fat... But yeah, I'm following real close, and not losing an OUNCE and getting frustrated.

So I ordered The Rice Solution book on Amazon, and want to follow it. Tina's thoughts posted up thread inspire me, as she lost weight with it and got a running start on losing weight. It just feels like I'm in serious trouble, you know? I turn 60 in two months, I am 100 lbs overweight, and the weight is simply not dropping. Because I live in a "fat" society, I don't feel like I look all that bad. In fact my mom and I were talking about Trump's obesity. She said "he doesn't look obese" ... Doesn't he? He doesn't look 600 lbs, but he DOES look obese, and I pointed out that 197 lbs is OBESE for me. And I'm almost 50 lbs over that limit. And I've been this weight for almost my entire adult life, minus the several years that I got to the "merely overweight" realm back in '09-'13. Well being 100 or so pounds overweight is damaging. In your 30's your knees don't care that much, but going on 60 it's a whole different story.

Eating carefully has ABSOLUTELY eliminated the aches and pains, but my weight...I'm just frustrated. I want to lose the poundage. I MUST lose it.

While I wait for my book to arrive, I'm back to my zero processed MWL approach and staying away from freaking restaurants.

[moonlight]

Hey Buns,
I feel your pain! Why does it take so long to lose weight!! It sounds to me like you are doing great! Here’s a quote from Mark Cooper in the MWL weigh-in forum:

“Do your very best to follow the principles, and be patient. ADHERENCE + TIME = RESULTS.“

This is so true. I would add PATIENCE to the formula.

Keep up the good work.

[bunsofaluminum]

Hey Buns,
I feel your pain! Why does it take so long to lose weight!! It sounds to me like you are doing great! Here’s a quote from Mark Cooper in the MWL weigh-in forum:

“Do your very best to follow the principles, and be patient. ADHERENCE + TIME = RESULTS.“

This is so true. I would add PATIENCE to the formula.

Keep up the good work.

ADHERENCE + TIME = RESULTS. Time. Time.....TIIIIYEEEEEM TIME. Must be patient.

So, I've got the rice diet books ordered and they'll be arriving in the last-ish week of October. Meanwhile, I do have some of the Rice Diet Revolution on Kindle, including the basic menu plan and portions for each phase. I could start it tomorrow, using minestrone as my starch (lots of beans; pasta) and adding vegetables. And then start the actual First Week ???? I dunno. First day is all rice/starches and fruit. I do have the rice made, and I bought some canned pineapple and peaches, and have berries in the freezer. It could do it for sure. Yeah...the minestrone can be the starch. The serving is three starches (1 cup) and three vegetable (1.5c) so minestrone and add a cup of broccoli. Maybe I'll do it. The foods are already very similar to foods in the McDougall program so I don't have to adjust much.

I let the "diet mentality" settle in on me and had several rich treats today. Eggs and toast with butter, a latte and a muffin at a coffee shop. Stuff like that. "Going to start tomorrow, so I'll just go nuts today" but I was aware and knew exactly what I was doing. riiiiight

Anyway. yeah. I think I'm gonna start tomorrow with the Rice Diet Revolution. I can read the books for a more in-depth understanding of it all once the books arrive. One of the things I like from the intro in the sample I'm reading is the holistic nature of it. There's some 12 step stuff in there, and part of every day is exercise and quiet time...aka "time to be alone with yourself" in order to think and ponder your life.

[bunsofaluminum]

Monday Oct 19, 2020
Wt 240 lbs.

B: 2/3 c brown rice; 1 c canned peaches; one apple
L: 2/3 c. brown rice; 1 c berries; 1 c canned peaches
D: 2/3 c brown rice; 2 pcs fruit (fresh garden tomatoes?)

Exercise: 20 min Qi Gong.

Going super simple with The Rice Diet Solution. The foods are very similar to McDougalling (except later in the phases, they add lean animal protein which I won't do). One difference is extreme low sodium. The recommendation is 300mg per day. Another difference is the use of portion sizes. One starch = 1/3 c of grains or beans OR 1/2 c of starchy vegs. One fruit = 1 c. of fruit/grapes/berries or one medium whole fruit. One vegetable = 1/2 c cooked or 1 c raw vegs.

All meals have 2 or 3 starches and 2 of either fruit or veg. Day One is 2 starches and 2 fruit for every meal. I'm using rice, since I made a big batch the other day. I guess the first day of just rice and fruit serves as a palate cleanse. The remaining days of the first week include larger servings of 3 starches and 3 vegs for lunch and dinner, with breakfast of 1 starch, 1 non-fat "dairy" (oat milk for me) and 1 fruit.

One of the things that I liked from the first is the fact that it isn't just about the food. Exercise and inner work are part of it. They use the AA 12 steps, and plenty of daily down time for thinking about their lives and getting to the root of their food issues. And when I say exercise, they prescribe whatever is possible. That is, a man whose story is told came to their clinic at over 600 lbs. His exercise at the beginning was to lie on the floor and hold his legs up in the air. That was all....to start with Of course you add more activity as it becomes possible. This is where I am. I want to walk...I REALLY want to walk, and I want to walk a LOT...and eventually I'll be able to. Right now, maybe Qi Gong IS going to be my exercise. Or slow squats, hold it for 30 sec, and do 10 of them. Three sets. Something like that. Anything, eh?

So I'm giving it a try. Going to weigh every day, too.


~~~~~

Yesterday was absolutely awesome. Wylie needed some help putting up a small shed for lawn/yard equipment, separate from the storage shed we have. My son-in-law came up to help, and my daughter came along with her little boy Orion. My three year old adorbs boy. We went and got coffee/brekkie (off plan) then went to the park. There's a huge pond and Orion wanted to feed the geese, but we first needed to eat our coffee shop breakfast. The child usually needs to be coaxed to eat. He never knows he's hungry until he takes the first few bites, so we walked a little bit and found a picnic table...mom and I sat and nibbled and sipped while Orion ran around being a super hero. We were finally able to talk him into eating a bite or two by trading "eat something" for "let's go feed the geese" ...so we walked over to the pond and gave the geese the little granola that came with Orion's berries and yogurt.

Then we found a maple tree! Woot! Spinners! While his mom caught up with her Reddit responsibilities Orion and I played with maple seeds. Gosh, SO MUCH FUN! Reaching up and shaking a branch brought them swirling down in the dozens, or you could gather up a bunch of them and throw them up in the air. Fun! Eventually my feet got to hurting so we sat for a while, then back over to say bye to the geese, and walked back to the car. My step total yesterday was about 5x the Saturday count. I wonder if I walked a mile! And every moment of it, just fun. Orion was pretty much Iron Man for the whole walk back. He was using his hand power to shoot at cars and dogs. We kinda knocked each other around as well with our super powers.

Gosh I can't begin to say how wonderful it was to play in the sunshine, and truly my feet did okay. Yeah, there was some pain before we were done but my energy was right up there and all the fun was more than worth it. That, plus the evening with my siblings last Wednesday...makes life doable, doesn't it.

[bunsofaluminum]

Down two lbs on the scale after Day 1 of the Rice Solution, phase one. Day one, right? Water weight. But...this is the first I've seen the scale move since Aug 31 so I'll take it.

So, my meals yesterday were 2/3 c rice and 1 c fruit, all three meals. I consider tomato a fruit, so that's what I had at lunch and dinner for one of my fruit. Canned peaches or berries for the other fruit. (2 starches, 2 fruit per meal) First of all, yes 2/3c of rice and a cup of fruit is filling. Yes, my stomach gave me grief about an hour earlier than usual BUT I didn't feel deprived per se. I wouldn't want to deal with it every day for the rest of my life, but one day a week to sort of reset? Doable.

Second thing I notice is that the plate has that 50/50 thing going. Big time. Non starches maybe a little more than starches. Today I branch out, and am going to have potato as my starch. Except brekkie. Grape nuts FTW! Which is part of the plan, as well. Cereal and non-dairy with fruit.

Now I have to figure out daily exercise. Period.

[mandybee]

2 lbs is 2 lbs! Good for you!

I have been struggling a little bit myself so I can feel your frustration. I understand completely.

I've been wondering about calorie intake. I went weeks without any cheating and lost minimal weight. I found a calorie counter website which told me the number of calories I'd have to consume to lose 1 lb a week (you put in female/male, age, current weight)...I thought this may be a fluke because it seemed like a heck of a lot less calories than I've been eating. I follow some people on YouTube who make it sound like you can just eat your face off in starch and the weight slides off. That hasn't been my experience. I started MWL because I was thinking mostly - maybe I haven't been doing the 50/50 thing as much as I should, figured I'd give it a real shot. While I have no interest in counting every calorie, I have scaled back a bit -- making sure that I don't eat until stuffed and that already seems to be helping, I honestly feel better. I eat because it's breakfast time, I eat because it's lunch time, etc. Anyway, when I read you were 2 lbs down and saw what you ate it made me wonder if you lost 2 lbs because, in essence, you cut back in calories a little bit, is that possible?

I'm cheering you on! Don't give up! We can do this! I really do think we are on the right track, I really do.

Down two lbs on the scale after Day 1 of the Rice Solution, phase one. Day one, right? Water weight. But...this is the first I've seen the scale move since Aug 31 so I'll take it.

So, my meals yesterday were 2/3 c rice and 1 c fruit, all three meals. I consider tomato a fruit, so that's what I had at lunch and dinner for one of my fruit. Canned peaches or berries for the other fruit. (2 starches, 2 fruit per meal) First of all, yes 2/3c of rice and a cup of fruit is filling. Yes, my stomach gave me grief about an hour earlier than usual BUT I didn't feel deprived per se. I wouldn't want to deal with it every day for the rest of my life, but one day a week to sort of reset? Doable.

Second thing I notice is that the plate has that 50/50 thing going. Big time. Non starches maybe a little more than starches. Today I branch out, and am going to have potato as my starch. Except brekkie. Grape nuts FTW! Which is part of the plan, as well. Cereal and non-dairy with fruit.

Now I have to figure out daily exercise. Period.

[Drew*]

On Dairy and Added Oils

Fat is not food for me.
Fat makes me sick.
Fat causes joint pain.

I haven't touched dairy since...

Hi, just saw your remarks in my journal and replied. Sorry for the delay. Thank your for sharing your Zen art--I will look at the concept more fully! I am back and plan to post more often...I like the quote above and will say something similar to myself today! It is the added oils that sometimes get me. Avoiding them is necessary for success on MWL. It helps to stay on MWL and to avoid all of it!
--
Drew*