Goodbye Week. Hello Weekend. Lessons Learned: Take 44.

Our beautiful school's courtyard featuring Pan, the Greek God

Goodbye welcoming bunches of new readers to this lil' ol' blog this week - thanks for being here and I sure hope you stay!
Goodbye supporting a friend through a difficult, but healing process as he continues to gain strength as a survivor.
Goodbye continuous state of awe as Super Hubby burns the candle at both ends - I can't survive on that little of sleep.
Goodbye tickling throats, lots of sleep, and taking a sick-day.
Goodbye blood work, EKG, and normal results.

Hello melting chocolate and filling molds.
Hello creating and crafting and hammers pounding and painting happening.
Hello getting closer to the big 10 birthday party and running out of time and patience.
Hello making some dietary changes, not because I have to, but because I want to.
Hello hoping to greet Monday with a great deal accomplished and lots of cross-offs on The List.

This week's lesson learned is one that comes to many of us, I suspect, as we begin the next chapter of our lives, usually when you celebrate a decade birthday. I had my physical this past week. All is fine, blood work is normal, blood pressure is close to perfect, and cholesterol levels are acceptable. I know it sounds great, and I am grateful for the non-problematic results. But, in some weird way I was hoping something would be out of kilter. Not in the way that would cause me permanent harm, just in a way to motivate me to change some of my ways (like my love for McDonald's Big Mac's). I needed a reason, a motivation, to encourage me to make changes in my diet to help prolong my future so I don't have to be forced to make changes later when it all catches up with me and the lab results are dire. But, alas, it seems I have to find the motivation within myself, not in a blood test result. What a gift to not have to be reactionary in my own health care, but rather be proactive in knowing what's right, and just doing it. So despite the fact the blood work tests came back normal, I know I should eat more fruit, drink water, exercise, and have better control over portion-size. It's the right way to live and that motivation comes from me, not a test result.