A Plastic Buddha on a Spring

On a road trip to Sugarloaf Mountain to see family on Saturday my car broke down on the side of the road.  3 hours from home and 2 hours from our destination, my children and I sat in the car and waited to be towed.  4 hours later we were rescued and then I borrowed my mother’s car to complete our trip.  The next morning we turned around and drove the 5 hours back home.  It was a beautiful weekend in the mountains. We spent it in a car.

It was a good thing we broke down where we did; another 5 miles and we wouldn’t have had cell service.  I would have had to take all the kids (Dakota had a friend with him too) back down the road in search of service.  But we were able to call for help.  While it was hot, there was a cool breeze coming through the windows of the car and we talked and laughed and made the most of a bad situation.  I truly love my children and their ability to adapt!

 

While I could complain heavily about the wasted weekend, the lost money (that I don’t have) and the forecast of shelling out $1500 for a new engine, the only thing that really sticks in my mind is the plastic Buddha on a spring that my daughter found in our condo.  After a LONG, tough day, there he was, bouncing, smiling, bringing a calming presence into my life!   I have no idea how he got there.  Bethany opened up the closet to put our stuff away and excitedly brought him to me, knowing it would make me feel better.  And he did! That serene, gentle face reminding me that everything happens for a reason.  Be grateful and see the lesson.  He was propped on the nightstand watching over me as I slept, keeping my thoughts on the positive and not the negative.

 

It’s not always easy looking on the bright side of life, despite Monty Python’s signature song.  But this time I found out a lot about myself and my ability to deal with adversity.  There was a time I would have complained, cried “why me!” and had a good cry.  There was a time when I would have thought the world was against me and I was the victim yet again.  This time something was different. Call it age or call it wisdom but I was just thankful it wasn’t worse.  Thankful I had someone to call.    Thankful that I wasn’t cold and snowing and miserable out. Thankful I had such awesome kids to spend the time with (and that they weren’t tiny and a handful!). Thankful I had a boss that let me borrow a company car.  Don’t get me wrong, I sputtered, I swore a few times and I may even have hit the steering wheel a time or two but then I shrugged and let it go. It reminded me that some things may be out of my hands, but how I react is always my choice!

 

Going Clean

I’ve been clean for almost a week now.  I’ve been weaning myself gradually over the past year, but this week I decided enough was enough.   While I’ve had to improvise from time to time, I’ve remained 99% clean.   Hell, one can’t go cold turkey and not risk falling off the wagon all together.

Eliminating all processed foods from your diet can be hard.  Everywhere you look they sneak in preservatives, additives and chemicals.  Shredded cheese has anti-caking agents.  The list of chemicals in salad dressings and even tub butter are unfathomable. Why is it so hard to find “Real Food”?  It’s not.  You just need to look.  If it comes in a box, bag or can you better read the ingredients (did you know they add sugar to canned kidney beans?).  Just because something looks healthy, says “Organic” or “Natural” doesn’t mean it is.  Politicians also say they’ll save America.  They generally don’t.  Read the label or better yet, buy it in its natural form.

But, as a working mom, I understand the necessity of convenience.  It’s not impossible to find clean foods ready and waiting.  I found this great chart at Summertomato.com and it’s been a big help so far.

Finding Real Food

So…why am I doing this again?  For a few reasons.  For one, my weight loss efforts have completely stalled despite eating a healthy diet, exercising continually and doing stress-reducing yoga.  Something had to change and while it’s not a huge leap for me, it might just be what the doctor ordered.  And if it cuts back on the migraines too, all the better!

 

Besides, what else would you expect from the hippyhikerchick (twitter)?  Next thing you know I’ll become a vegetarian…maybe just a peso-veggie 😉  And for the record, yes, I do hug trees.  But only when I think they need one.