Once Upon A Time

I used to blog every day. I made about a dozen friends that I think about when I lost to Facebook.  Since I started Facebook any daily discipline of writing, reading or creating has died. I now speak fluent cyber slang. As I type "u" instead of you, because it's faster, I have to wonder. What are we losing as we quickly scroll down and hit the like button? We hit like even when we don't like.

In my life it seems I am always the last to figure out the obvious. Hindsight shows that some women used blogging to promote their products. That's fine, it's smart. I think Ree has probably made millions. I am happy for her. That's not why I blogged. I blogged because I wanted to write. I had stories to tell. Ideas and pictures to share. I blogged for COMMUNITY.
Neighbors are becoming something lost. We have other people in close proximity but do you know them? There are about a dozen women I got to know blogging. They are who I read on Facebook for the most part. But here is the pitch; ready?
I don't know you like I did when I read your blogs. You don't know me as well either. We are operating off of past intimacy.
Let the scooters scoff, you can get to know someone's heart by reading their writing. I miss it. So much has changed in my life that hasn't been written it's hard to know where to begin?
We moved. We remodeled a little cottage in the country. Thats a whole bunch of stuff. I have been following a "diet" #Whole30 where weight loss is a byproduct not the goal. Restoring health and breaking food addictions is the goal. It works. That's something to talk about.
I am not promising anything. I am embracing a lot of disciplines right now. I am just saying I would prefer to be here. It takes more effort. I have to actually write sentences. Attempt grammar and punctuation, and fail miserably; but you still come. You come because you too desire community and neighbors. You long to connect to share ideas to stimulate each other to more. Better art, delicious food, caring for children, taking pictures, we like to share. The process inspires us to do more and do it better. It also reveals limitations. I will never bake like Katie Diers. The best I can do is applaud her talent and affirm to her how amazing her talents in baking are!

That's what we do. We share. We comment. We are neighbors. Lately some of you have learned of life threatening illnesses. Some have had major surgery or are facing major surgery. After all my experience in health care I realized that if we can't cut you or drug you we have nothing else to offer. I have watched myself and people I love eat their way to chronic illness. Yes we have heriditary tendencies, yes their are diseases we have no control over. Bad things happen to good people, also good things happen to bad people. I believe that an optimally macro nutritious diet gives us an immune system that can fight disease off. Most pharmaceutical treatment has adverse effects that need to be dealt with. That is an even MORE important time to eat the best you can and avoid food additives that make us sick. Right?

I am preaching to myself. After two rounds of #Whole30 I learned I am very sensitive to high fructose corn syrup. It makes my joints hot, sore, and stiff. How do I know? When I finished the #Whole30 I was pain free and energetic. I felt like moving.  I felt younger, happier, calmer, more even keeled. I could go for much longer without eating and not experience a blood sugar crash. Wow. Food has so much power over us though. When we moved I ate a couple things a little at a time and discovered exactly how they made me feel. I know what I can eat.

I have food addictions. I have a sugar dragon. The other day I wanted some chocolate so bad I upended the Hershey syrup from Mothers Day and swigged it down straight. My joints paid me back within 10 minutes.
I am beginning round 3 of #Whole30. I am working up to my official first day. I have some hand made corn tortillas I want to eat. Just getting off chocolate is a big enough task. Reading labels again and getting the stuff out of here that can tempt me is a tThere is corn syrup in sausage and tuna fish. Read labels your in for a doozy of a shock.

That's what I am going to be talking about. #Whole30, healthy eating, the struggle to go to the GYM, and whatever else I am thinking about. Because this is Fresh Fixins where you never do know what your going to get!