Royal Wedding

I did not get up at 3 a.m. to watch the royal wedding, but I admit to being somewhat curious about the royal wedding dress, so first thing this morning, I logged on to the internet to check out photos of the bride. I was not disappointed; in fact, I was quite pleased to see Kate Middleton wearing such a beautiful and classic design. The dress evokes memories of the dress Grace Kelly wore when she married Prince Ranier of Monaco. It also reminded me somewhat of the wedding dress worn by Julie Andrews in "The Sound of Music" when she got hitched to Captain Von Trapp, nobly played by one of my favorite actors, Christopher Plummer. But I digress. Kate's dress was simple, elegant, tasteful, and devestatingly beautiful. I hope that future brides will be influenced by this dress and put the strapless gowns to rest. I was also impressed with the lack of over-the-top extravagance which has permeated so many weddings lately. From what I could see, the whole event was done in a tasteful, elegant, understated fashion. Perhaps it was done that way in deference to the economy, and to the fact that so many people are in economic straits. I hope that Kate and William are happy, and will remain so. And now the world will wait to see if Kate will provide an heir to the throne. Ah, royalty!

Fitness & Training Update

After another 9 weeks of the FIT (Fitness Institute of Texas) program, I'm happy to find I've lost another 6 pounds and gained 2 more pounds of muscle mass! This brings me back to my ideal weight, and I am so pleased that I stuck with the program and got the results I was hoping for. I have to thank the trainers at FIT and my employer, Texas Medical Association, for working together to bring this program to my work place. I honestly don't think I would have done this if I had to go offsite to do it. However, since I am seeing positive results, I independently enrolled in a boot camp that meets on Saturday mornings, so I've augmented my program and I do believe that made the difference in my gaining more muscle mass. I still have my weekly yoga class, which I love, and I ran my first-ever 3 mile race this past weekend. I honestly feel healthier and stronger than I have in years, and I give complete credit to the exercise and nutrition habits I've gained since starting FIT last August. I haven't given up everything, though! I still enjoy a glass (or two!) of wine in the evenings, and love a pint of good dark beer. But the good news is I can still enjoy these things and maintain my weight loss and fitness level by continuing the good techniques and healthy choices I've learned from my FIT classes. I feel like I'm 23 again!

Diva Dash!

Today I completed my first-ever 3 mile run! Shape Magazine held the first Diva Dash here in Austin, and my sister-in-law Veray and I participated. It was hard work, but fun, and I'm proud of myself for a)signing up, and b)actually completing the course. There were 6 obstacles along the way, including rope climbing, a maze, tightrope, and one of those tire runs you see football players doing all the time (don't know what that's called). Anyway, it was a great way to spend a Saturday morning, and I feel really good about it. One year ago, I never would have even considered such a thing, so this is a big deal for me. It kinda makes me want to do another event like this!

Moving Day

Today's the day my daughter and her family move to their new home in San Marcos. They've been living with us since arriving back in the US from Central America on December 1. It has been and interesting 4 months, and I am proud to say we all got along quite well, despite the close quarters. And it was great to be able to spend so much time with my grandchildren. When they were living in Central America, visits were few and far between. With them living in my home, I got to see them every day and participate in all the daily adventures 2- and 4-year olds have. I am happy that they will have their own place now, so we've all got more room to spread out. And their new home is only 25 minutes away, so visits will be much more frequent than when we had to board an airplane to visit them.