Couscous is all the rage!

Most weeks I have shared about either a new fruit or vegetable. However this week I am sharing about a new grain we tried and prepared. Couscous! Now in my quick research through wikipedia.org and one of our cookbooks entitled Vegetarian; couscous is a lengthy process to prepare. Or I should say once was time-consuming to prepare as there was a lengthy steaming requirement before the grain could be consumed. However, the couscous most of us will find in our supermarkets requires very little preparation time. Couscous appears to have a grainy texture, but is actually a pasta. I think of it as a pasta crumb. The size of couscous is very small. You can prepare couscous as part of your main entree or as a dessert as several culture prefer. Some choose to use it as the main ingredient or because of its blandness couscous can help "calm" a spicy dish. We ate a yummy veggie chili on this gorgeous autumn evening and included couscous as recommended by the recipe. A little couscous goes a long way. The small bites included a lot of chewy texture. It was a fun challenge to try to eat just one bit of couscous at a time. It reminded me of either crumbs made of pasta which I mentioned or similiar to a nibble of old-fashioned dumplings. The chewiness that quickly picks up the flavor of the entire dish. It will be fun to see what other dishes we can add this little punch of texture into the future. As you explore your HealthFULL Journey may you find little surprises that enhance the whole experience. I continue to try to Fully Understand Life by Living, I encourage for you to do the same. 'Til we meet again. . .

Restin' a Spell. . .

So this HealthFULL Journey isn't the racing route I was hoping for but much more a scenic route with a lot of twists. I am sick, but not really. I don't "feel" sick, but I sound horrible. No fever, but definitely feel run down. Coughing, but only for a second. Slight headache and a little bit ditsy or "slow" to react physically or mentally. Right now feeling like this I don't think exercise should be a HIGH priority. But hopefully, fingers crossed that my energy will return quickly. And that I will get over this "bug". We did enjoy a little fresh air with our puppy this evening. She was so ECSTATIC!!! It has been quite a rainy week which I don't want to "accuse" but may have some impact on the way I have been feeling. With all the rain and not feeling a hundred percent we just haven't been on top of our game. But we are only on rain delay as baseball would say and still plan to finish every inning. So I am resting up as I plan to hit the GRAND SLAM as soon as I can! May your HealthFULL journey lead you to those moments you need rest and can appreciate those energetic days all the more. 'Til we meet again. . .

Looking for the Extra Step!!!

Do you like easy? Do you try to save time? Do you cut corners when able? I could answer yes to these questions most of the time. Sometimes it feels that the world is moving too fast to savor moments. But when we don't go the extra mile or fully embrace an effort we give up way too much. I mentioned a podcast I started to listen to in a previous entry entitled No Excuses Weight Loss by Jonathan Roche. He's a big believer in what he terms "creative movement". To seek out ways that deliberately add extra movement naturally to your day. For example when brushing your teeth you can march in place or a big idea that he promotes (one we've all heard) is to park in the furthest parking spot. Another idea he's mentioned is to not carry one load of laundry out of the laundry room but three trips, six trips, up to an individual trip for every single article of clothing you wash. Did these ideas make you giggle? Did they make you roll your eyes? At first, the ideas made me laugh. But then I took advantage of the suggestion. This is my HealthFULL Journey and I am looking to open myself up to new experiences. I start my job pretty early every day though shocker I do tend to run a couple minutes late. So early that I tend to be no more than the tenth person at the building. I have a guaranteed opportunity for one of the closest parking spots. And this last week I have passed up those easy accessible spots and park eight rows back. I probably add 250 extra steps one way. Which means I add an extra 500 steps daily. Somewhere I have both heard and read that to stay healthy we should each walk 10,000 steps a day (roughly two miles). So just by walking the parking lot I complete five percent of that goal. By tacking on an extra 2 - 3 minutes I am adding real benefits to my health. I also have tried the marching in place while brushing my teeth. This movement hasn't became as natural to my routine but it's getting there. I take extra trips when moving items from room to room. And though physically this extra movement is great and simple, the real benefit is the mental aspect. When marching in place while brushing my teeth, I remember to start out my day by having fun and to remember to laugh at myself. Because yes it is awkward to watch myself in the mirror marching to the invisible drummer while trying to remain coordinated enough to complete the real task of brushing my teeth. I sometimes am a clumsy girl. But this helps me to remind self that I may be a clumsy girl who can still make herself laugh. I also have added little exercises outside when walking Belle. She enjoys her "sniffs" and I am less impatient with her. The extra trips aren't that time consuming because I save time not trying to figure out how to do everything in one swoop. It is a great reminder that little by little any task can get completed. Also, less likely to drop something. This is all about the early question do we cut corners? Sometimes, when we are in a hurry we rush a project we don't double check that the T's get crossed. This is when mistakes occur. By taking the extra time or in this case the extra trip. Everything is covered and completed well. But the parking lot that's my favorite mental boost. It helps keep things new. I feel the extra steps I'm taking. It is like every step is reconfirmation that yes I really am embracing my HealthFULL Journey. By Fully Understanding Life by Living. I don't park in the same places so I see new sights. I have to confess the first day I totally forgot at work that I parked eight rows back. So I got extra steps in my day by walking to both parking spots and that big sigh of relief. I get the chance to see kids totter away from the parents in anticipation of shopping. I watched an older couple walk out to their car laughing and playing around. I've caught snippets of songs that I haven't heard in ages as the windows are rolled down by those waiting. So now I look forward to playing the game which spot is the furthest from the door. I encourage you for both your mental and physical health to see where you can take an extra step in your HealthFULL Journey. 'Til we meet again. . .

Tennis, Anyone?

Tennis is an intriguing sport. First off I love the scoring. What other game do the rivals start off with Love/Love? Fantastic! Each player is allowed a bubble space and I am a girl who likes her space. And to top it off you are each handed a weapon. Wonderful sport! Cor and I live in a nice neighborhood where we have access to tennis courts that we certainly don't take advantage of enough. However, here in South Carolina we are having some gorgeous days. I am from the North. When you are having a gorgeous autumn day with leaves changing bright colors and the temperature edging toward the eighties, one has got to enjoy the outside. So we grabbed our rackets and hit the court. Now part of the reason this is a great game for us is that we are somewhat evenly matched in our tennis abilities. And to you let you in on what part of the talent spectrum we belong, let's just say we won't be plannin' any doubles matches with Stefi and Andre anytime soon ;) Since we are just getting back into the rhythm of tennis we didn't keep score. But let's say we definitely were playing with some "Love"! Tennis is quite deceiving. You look at the court and go wow can someone really work up a sweat playing this itty-bitty square. Answer: Absolutely! You vow to play "friendly". I already mentioned you start off speaking love. But then there is something about seeing that obnoxious little neon bouncy ball come flying towards you. While your eyes focus on the whistling missile coming straight at you; a tightening starts in the gut that explodes and fires through your tendons through your racket. Your mission becomes "HIT that ball away!" - as quickly and as forcefully as possible. Then a calmness falls over you as you hear the satisfying ting of the racket strings connecting to the rubber enemy and watch it sail back over the net, safely away from your well-marked bubble. I can hear the applause now. Sometimes though the celebration ends quickly because here comes that irritating little enemy once again. Instinct takes over and you leap, pounce, and swing with all you've got. This rhythm continues. Until your body just hits that wall. The ball comes sailing over the net and your body turns to stone. There is no leaping, there isn't even reaching. You just watch the ball bounce and then roll away. That's when you look back at your tennis buddy and go, "Done?" and the usual answer "Yup!" You both walk to the net shake hands and go "Great game!" Ahh the beautiful civility to it all. May you have a partner who helps you enjoy the Love/Love of your HealthFULL Journey. And never underestimate the peace that abounds after whacking a fuzzy little ball with that satisfying ting! 'Til we meet again. . .

The Dreaded Green

The vegetable of the week is one that I have dreaded trying! You have all heard of it. Many claim to dislike them. The veggie of the week is. . . . (Can you hear the theme to Jaws?) Brussels Sprouts!!!!!!!!!! Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeek! And you know what? They actually are delicious, and super cute. Now for those of you who are like; count me out. Have you actually tasted a Brussels Sprout? Or even seen a Brussels Sprout? It is one of those vegetables many claim as disgusting and horrible to eat. Words get passed around until everyone is claiming the same opinion, without anyone actually tasting the offender. Or some of you have claimed the Brussels Sprout as your nemesis because you have tried Brussels Sprouts and they were awful. If this sounds like you I read a book awhile back with a cook who said something along the lines, "If you don't like Brussels Sprouts then you are cooking them wrong." Some helpful hints I have gathered in my research is don't buy/prepare frozen Brussels Sprouts. You will end up with a soggy mess every time. If your Brussels Sprouts are gray when you are about to eat them; put the fork down and walk away. Those are either way overcooked or were not a good product from the start. Look for bagged Brussels Sprouts in the produce section with tight leaves, a hefty weight , and bright green. The Brussels Sprout has got the cute factor going on as they look like miniature cabbages with a beautiful shade of green. The taste in raw form near the stem reminded me of cauliflower. That bitter earthy flavor. When we prepared our Brussels Sprouts we trimmed the edge by whacking off the ends and shredded the miniature cabbages. The shredding was quite a relaxing action. We then added a little spice and a smidge of sesame oil and soy sauce then mixed up in our handy wok. The final dish had a great rich nutty flavor to the Brussels Sprouts. We discussed a little extra crunch from a toasted nut would have been perfect. We'll just have to try it next time. Because there will definitely be a next time for the Brussels Sprouts in our house. Don't be scared to try things on your own HealthFULL Journey, even if others claim dislike. You aren't others. Be proud to be you and discover your own tastes as you travel and explore on your HealthFULL Journey. Remember FULL means to Fully Understand Life by Living. So explore, have fun, and Live Healthy. 'Til we meet again.

For you a Fuyu

A what? A fuyu persimmon, which we chose as our trial fruit of the week. We tried it out as a snack and ate it in its raw form. A fuyu persimmon is not the typical astringent persimmon. A fuyu is known as non-astringent. An astringent persimmon should not be consumed until ripened which it can do under room-temperature. The persimmon can become a gorgeous bright orange color. Think the brightness of oranges mixed with the deep, rich tone of pumpkins. This fruit pares well with the whole autumn palette. That intense of an orange was the color I saw of the persimmons when I was choosing between the average persimmon and the fuyu persimmon. The color difference was that the fuyu was much lighter in color and kind of a cute squatty shape. The fuyus I picked out resembled tomatoes. The flesh starts off a little softer than the persimmon that is shaped like a skinny acorn or resembled Roma tomatoes. The flavor is quite intense and unique. If you do not like sweet flavors I would warn you to either stay away or take small nibbles. I have quite a sweet tooth and even I found the "sweet" factor overwhelming. The flavor starts out very mild. The fuyu persimmon we chose reminded me of a nectarine just starting to ripen, both in texture and flavor. After reading some tidbits; the articles suggested when consuming the persimmon raw that many people avoid the peel. So we cut into the persimmon and ate the wedges like a cantaloupe, chewing the fruit and leaving the peel alone. The core of the persimmon was edible, but not flavorful. As you bite deeper into the fruit, the taste intensifies in sweetness. The aftertaste finished like a sweet melon, refreshing with a sweet twist. Now this might be my imagination, but the more I ate the more I could pick out a cinnamon flavor. This could very well be a power of suggestion as I think a persimmon sounds closely like cinnamon and I naturally link the two together. As I said in the beginning, this was an interesting taste. It has some unique flair. It would be interesting to match this fruit with a bitter green as in a salad combination. Or to cook down into a baked goodie with some drier grains. If you like sweet then definitely find your way to a persimmon. May your HealthFULL Journey bring sweetness Fu-yu :) 'Til we meet again. . .

Mappin' It Out!

Have you ever created a timeline for yourself? Once upon a time I was a confirmation mentor and we were asked to create a faith timeline. You can get as detailed as you want. We were given the advice to note key moments in our lives and then incorporate moments of faith. I am not quite finished with my new timeline as I want to include a lot of information and I also want to let my memories have a chance to surface. It is interesting to look at a couple pieces of paper and really see the patterns in our own life. My timeline consists of one piece of paper for every five years except from 1980 - 1990 on one sheet of paper as my memory is low for the first 10 years. I wrote my timeline in the middle of the paper. At the bottom of the paper I wrote where I was living and at top I wrote specific weights I could remember. On the timeline so far I have included the "big" events that many of us typically experience and would include: (deaths, marriages, births, graduations, moves). What I am waiting to finish is the small moments that were just personal to me. We all have had a book, a movie, a drive, a random meeting that changes our outlook forever. I am letting those memories come forward. So far seeing the timeline progress is interesting. There are memories that I wouldn't mind staying hidden and some have been fun to remember. Just seeing events on paper is eye-opening and very healing. Which is why I started the mapping of my past. If I truly want to embrace the healthier lifestyle and make my future a truly HealthFULL Journey I felt I had to remember the past. I wanted to see where certain choices became part of my daily routine. Perhaps by seeing the past I can truly understand why certain rituals are so strong and were used to serve a purpose that I no longer can grasp. I highly suggest you map out your past. It's a great tool to reintroduce you to . . . yourself. May you move forward in your HealthFULL Journey with your head held high and appreciate your past that got you to the now. 'Til we meet again. . .

H-2-O

Howdy everybody, This post is going to be short, but I wanted to check in. When looking back at my checklist I would have to say the biggest and most consistent life change I have made is drinking water. I am doing great on keeping hydrated by drinking water and very little else. I still may have the occasional diet soda, but that is all it is. I don't NEED soda. I even have trouble finishing a full can within an hour when I used to be able to guzzle a full can within five minutes. We have been eating out quite a bit lately as we had some celebrations and visitors. I can notice the way I peruse a menu that I have certainly made some life changes nutritionally. Drinking water out used to not even be a consideration. The waiter barely glances in my direction before I voice my choice of beverage - good ol' H2O. I try to venture new cuisines and take note of the variety of salads. Where I used to base my choice on sides of mashed potatoes and fries, I now seek out steamed or grilled veggies. I try to shrink my meal instead of super-size the entree. I seek out the smaller portion and add a salad. I can feel when I am not drinking as much water. I can't believe only a couple of months ago that I consumed less than 25% of what has become my daily water intake. I hope that I as I work on my checklist for Health that the other goals become as natural to my life as drinking water. May your HealthFULL Journey allow you chances to explore. 'Til we meet again. . .

Somedays are just Ruff!

Well confession time. I didn't get to the gym twice this week, but at least I got there once for an hour workout as I attended my second Zumba class. However, I am happy to report that the gym was not my only exercise for the week. My hubby and I are trying to get more regular at walking our precious baby canine. We had some rainy days that we chose not to brave but otherwise we try to give our Belle a little freedom. Miss Belle, our one year old possible German Shepard - Basset Hound mix puppy is benefiting from our new lifestyle. She can sense when we are beginning the walk prep. As we begin to gather the necessary items, tennis shoes, doggy treats, plastic bag, and a house key. Belle begins the Wiggle Waddle. Her wiggle to the left followed by an excited hop. It must be her way of stretching before the great work-out. Then she almost loses her mind as we reach for her leash. It seriously can take two minutes to calm down her wiggling enough to attach the leash to her collar. Once we are ready we head out the door. She helps me get excited to go for the walk and to appreciate our surroundings. Somehow I have started to take for granted our beautiful, peaceful neighborhood. I begin to notice the small changes like new seasonal decorations, planting of new bushes, tricycles traded out for bicycles. The little things that don't register when rushing off to a new appointment or returning home after a long day. For Belle the walks are always a new adventure and not the certain rhythm we found following the same route. I believe to her it must be new discoveries, adventurous smells, and exciting finds. To me the walk is exercise and something on a to-do list. Until Belle makes me stop. That's right, Belle paces the walk. My favorite time to take our walks is late in the evening. There is a coolness to the air and the nighttime sky is gorgeous with a bright moon and millions of twinkling lights. It is one of the rare times the neighborhood is quiet. In the determined stop of our puppy my husband and I really appreciate what surrounds us. We catch the neighborhood cats hidden in their yard designs. We giggle as Belle tries to catch a frog yet again or finds her favorite snack, sun-fried worms, BLECH! - But she loves them. It gives us a time to catch up on each-other's daily adventures. And with a little pulling and tugging and sometimes a short jog we are sad to realize that our mile and half jaunt is done. So though there are days I feel overwhelmed or just not in the mood for a walk I am grateful I have a puppy who holds me accountable. If I want to truly experience the HealthFULL Journey then I better at least take the first step, at least the first step with a leash attached to a puppy who is always ready-to-go. Enjoy your HealthFULL Journey and may you find a partner as encouraging and excited for your success as I have found. Keep Fully Understanding Life by Living, 'Til we meet again. . .

Let's get Seedy!!!

Once again I picked a "new" fruit to try this week. This is the first time I have actually tasted the "fruit". Where in the past I have experienced the flavor in juice form. This was the week I tried the pomegranate. My three words to describe this fruit would be Yum, Interesting, and Fun!

The nutritious value of this fruit is outstanding. If you are looking for antioxidants, potassium, phytochemicals, vitamin C, fiber, and the possibility to reduce dental plaque and lower bad cholesterol you can find all those benefits in a neat little package in this particular fruit. Yum, right? :)

This fruit is interesting to view. The color of the pomegranate falls between a deep pink with reddish tones. The outer skin/peel reminds me of an older regularly used baseball; when the leather looks worn, almost cracked. The size resembles an apple. After you have appreciated the outside and cut into this inedible peel is when things get interesting. If you have no knowledge of what to expect , you may take a peek inside the fruit and then throw away a perfectly good pomegranate. Why? Because it may appear fruitless. The pomegranate is filled with hundreds of seeds (roughly six hundred). The seeds are the fruit and they are packaged into clusters protected by white pulp. Unlike the white piths of oranges that have an almost cotton-like texture, the pomegranate's pulp has more of a plastic-like quality. The seeds are fun as they look like tiny jewels because of their intense color and bright sheen. The crunchy minuscule seeds are encased by juice balloons. It is like viewing hundreds of little presents wrapped in see-through balloons.

I chose to eat this fruit raw with little preparation and treated it like a dessert/snack. Extracting the fruit is super fun! There are several approaches one can take with this special packaging. There is the no-mess tactic where you place the halved fruit in a bowl of water that will naturally separate the pulpy membrane and the arils (seeds). Then just strain and scoop. But I was looking for the fun technique. I do suggest not wearing white when taking this next approach as pomegranate stains anything a deep pink almost instantly. To begin the "fun" (and quite messy) technique you remove the top of the fruit and then cut into the fruit four sections. Open the fruit but do not pull apart were the instructions I read. Flip the fruit over the bowl unto your palm and start smacking it with a spoon, releasing the seeds. WHAT FUN!!! I loved it. A way to get some aggression out. It was thrilling to see the pretty jewels fall from the fruit.

Now for the taste, YUM! When biting into these seeds it was like biting into mini-bubbles. You get the satisfying pop of juice which is sweet and finishes tart. Each bubble is quick and instant flavor. After biting into the seed, releasing the juice you are left with the crunchy seed. The seed might be the tart end - note. So as I said this fruit was Yum!, Fun!, and Interesting. . .

Highly Recommended when you are looking to rejuvenate your palate. Enjoy your own HealthFULL Journey as you discover new flavors for yourself. 'Til we meet again. . .

Countin' My Pennies

Sometimes us everyday people want things instantly, situations perfect, and deserve everything or nothing at all. I fall into these mental traps. It is almost too easy to start thinking ONE negative thought. Then that ONE negative thought becomes two, then three, and then it snowballs into you having a bad day, week, month, and well, you get the picture. So when we are changing our lifestyles we have to be on guard for those creepy crawly negative thoughts that slip their way sneakily into our thoughts. These negative thoughts have a way of either slowing our progress or downright demolishing our goals. If the scene can't be perfect, why even try? If I mess up one day, why even bother with the others? Sounds familiar if you personalize the message. I ate a piece of cake so my diet is shot anyway. I didn't make it to the gym today so I'll never lose the weight and should give up. I failed the math test so I should drop the class. I messed up the meeting so I'll never get promoted. Ahhh starting to ring some bells, right? Negative thoughts can hide beneath temptation, deception, fear, shame, guilt, depression, and a million other feelings that can consume your thoughts. And when you are trying to change your life for the better in any area these icky emotions have a way of shaking up your confidence and determination. So as I try to be proactive in my HealthFULL Journey I was trying to think of something that would help me edge out the bad thoughts and focus more on the good strides made from good choices. I came up with the penny jar. I have been listening to a new podcast which is very motivation. I believe the title is the No Excuse Weight Loss with Jonathan Roche. (I will have to double-check the name). He made an interesting point that when we are focusing on our health. It is like building a house. When we make a good choice we are strengthening our house with a brick. When we choose an option not benefitting our health it is like taking A brick away. So if we are working hard making a ton of progress. Getting healthy, getting fit, eating smart, and choose to have one cookie. The HealthFULL Journey isn't over! We all get to that point I want it ALL OR NOTHING! That is impossible to keep up. We are human and get tired, hungry, and downright frustrated. So yes it is okay to have one cookie as a choice and we should be aware that yes a cookie or two might slow the progress of weight loss and improving health. But one cookie shouldn't stop the WHOLE process. So to create a visual for myself. I have a glass vase in my kitchen (the room where I will probably be making most of my "choices"). Every time I make a healthy choice, (get a full night's sleep, drink water, eat a healthy snack, choose extra movement) I drop a penny in the vase. If I CHOOSE to eat a dessert or miss the day's movement or don't get to the gym in the FULL week I take a penny away. I pay myself and collect from myself daily. So whatever sins are committed they are done and paid when I move into the next day. But the rewards continue. When I collect enough I am going to treat myself to something that will continue to enhance my HealthFULL Journey. I've only started to Count My Pennies, but it already has helped me to focus on the fun of finding healthier alternatives. It also has pushed aside the Negative Roadblock. Hope you are Countin' Your Pennies and leaving the Negative Roadblock behind. Enjoy your HealthFULL Journey! 'Til we meet again. . .

Which vegetable pulls at your Heart?

Hearts of palm, of course! Can you guess the vegetable of the week? If you guessed Heart of Palm you would be correct. They sure are tasty! This entry is going to be short because I feel I cheated a bit on the new vegetable as it was not prepared in our own kitchen by myself or my hubby. I let a restaurant take on the weekly task and feel I am halfway trying something new. I feel part of introducing the new "healthy treat" of the week should be prepared in my own kitchen. As part of the problem of not eating healthier is being intimidated by the unfamiliar factor. In the future, I will try to keep it prepared within my sight at the very least. If you like artichoke hearts you will be fond of the Heart of palm. It is also an extremely healthy veggie to consume according to the information found on nutritiondata.com which included the following statement. Hearts of Palm are a good source of Protein, Riboflavin and Potassium, and a very good source of Dietary Fiber, Vitamin C, Folate, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Zinc, Copper and Manganese. The Hearts of Palm has a hearty almost strong texture that falls into the stalk vegetable family - think asparagus and celery as relative cousins. The taste is similar to artichoke hearts. I sampled this new veggie in a huge salad mix with a ton of vegetables. The hearts of palm were easy to single out with their salty and tangy taste. I highly encourage you to grab this tasty treat to elevate any salad you plan to create. It will bring some meatiness, a whole of tanginess, and a little bit of fancy to the table. Hope you are enjoying your own HealthFULL Journey. 'Til we meet again. . .

Winners never quit and quitters never win!

Have you ever heard this expression before?

Winners never quit and quitters never win!

If we apply logical reasoning to this popular saying, one cannot be both a winner and a quitter. If I had to choose a team. I may have to be on the Quitters team. And if I am completely honest, maybe even captain of the Quitters team. However, I am working hard to be on the Winners team, even if it means only as a bench - warmer.

I never mean to quit. But then, it is hard to believe anyone starts a project, works toward a goal, commits themselves fully to an idea in hopes of not finishing. I even try to rationalize my reasons for dropping out, sometimes I even convince myself it is for heroic reasons. That by my stepping down I am allowing others the chance to win, lead, or at least finish. That by fading into the background I am choosing to be noble. Truthfully, it is easier to drop the ball early in the race then to get to crunch time and risk failing. Risk disappointing those who were counting on a flawless performance.

I wring my hand at the thought of disappointing others. There is only one other feeling that I hate to stir up in others even more than disappointment is knowing that I did something to cause someone else to become upset. I like people to feel calm, soothed, and downright comfortable around me. Which is why I believe I choose to avoid personal confrontation like the bubonic plague. Absolutely there are some fights worth fighting! Those fights may include helping others lead improved lives which I have stood toe to toe in some of those battles and happily would do so again. But when it comes to personal goals and battles I usually have chosen to sweep my half-hearted attempts under the rug. If I truly want to attain a firm grasp on living a HealthFULL life by traveling my HealthFULL Journey then I have to start finishing some races (regardless of if I place last or first) and most importantly see my actions completed. Not everything I have to offer will be perfect, but I will see my actions through from beginning to end.

As I close, let me share one of my first goals I plan to accomplish. I am raising five hundred dollars for the March of Dimes. This started as a charity my office chose to support. I felt it would be easier to rally behind by making it personal. I sent out letters and emails announcing my plans to participate in the March for Babies that took place in April 2009. I chose to March in honor of five wonderful women that I am privileged to call friends who were pregnant at that time (months later the world has welcomed four beautiful girls and one handsome boy). I also Marched in memory of a little boy that left us far too soon at the age of fifteen months, but left a profound footprint upon many hearts, especially mine. As the March neared, I was super nervous if I would be able to complete the fully anticipated six miles (they ended up shortening the length to four miles, whew!). I did finish the March for Babies and was pleased that I raised $350 of my anticipated $500. That is seventy percent! I felt pleased at my respectable effort.

Well one hundred days ago my family was greeted with an amazing miracle, my youngest niece. As of October 1st, 2009, she is still a week away from her original due date of October 8th, 2009. That's right! Our family's smallest miracle entered the world according to her schedule. Because of some of the March of Dimes funded research my family is directly benefiting from their passionate research and outreaching efforts. Because of organizations like March of Dimes my precious niece can experience the best of care even while starting off with such a fragile beginning. In honor of her I feel I need to see this goal to the full $500. I would love to be an aunt that can show all my nieces and nephews that we don't have to finish first but we should always complete the race. I am currently 82% of my goal at $410. Perhaps there are nine people who can donate ten dollars to this worthwhile cause and help me both honor one of my "newest" heroes while also motivating me further along my own HealthFULL Journey.

If you would like to help complete the goal of $500 in honor of my family's littlest miracle, please go to www.marchforbabies.org/SuzySullivan . Also if you have any comments, questions, or topic suggestions and would rather not share them publicly you can email me at HealthFULLjourney@gmail.com .

Thank you for meeting me here on my HealthFULL Journey. 'Til we meet again. . .

I have fought the good fight. I have finished the race.

I have kept the faith. -- 2 Timothy 4:7