With Two Cats in the Yard…

I did a little snooping yesterday…I checked out my neighbor’s house…now…don’t go calling the police…I didn’t jimmy the locks…or even peep in the windows…I just found it online…yep…it’s for sale…so…I found the listing and took the virtual tour…

What I found was…it is a lovely house…filled with bold colors…striking…beautiful…but…I wouldn’t want to live there…

I want to live in my house…

I love my house…I loved it from the moment I first walked in…with one exception…the walls were camel…the entire interior with the exception of the guest bath…was painted the same color…and…while…it was a nice color…very tasteful…very sophisticated…

It just wasn’t me…

For me…color is important…I can handle plain white walls…but…beige…AKA…camel…depresses me…I knew I could live here about six months…if that…before I’d be depressed…if I left things the way they were…

I’m a pastel kind of girl…

I immediately…began planning the colors I would paint…the living room…dining room…would be a pale turquoise…bordering on blue…the color that reminds me of water…the master bed and bath…a pale coral…almost pink…the color that reminds me of sunrise…the rest of the rooms…would remain camel…honestly…that only left the kitchen…guest room…and hall…I could live with that much…

I was delighted with my choices…and amused…when a neighbor came over as I was holding up paint swatches…and proceeded to inform me…that I wouldn’t like the color…which I thought was pretty funny…considering it was the same exact color I’d been living with for two years prior and loved…I must have given her a funny look…I don’t think she’s been back…

She wasn’t the only one…when I’d show the house to someone…and tell them I was going to paint…even if they didn’t object to the colors I’d chosen…they’d ask why…it was such a lovely color already…so neutral…so chic…so…them…

I’m not sure they understood…they also didn’t sign the mortgage…

So…here I am…not neutral…not sophisticated…not chic…but…I love my house…I love the colors that I chose…they suit me…they make me happy…

And…believe it or not…Bertha…says…it’s part of living my truth…honoring who I am…honoring what I need…who would have thought…paint color…could do all that…

Jane

Doughnuts or Scrapbooks…

Okay…today…we’re turning the tables…I need input…I need help…there’s an issue that I’m grappling with…that just isn’t setting right with me…and I’m going to disguise it…and it isn’t about me…regardless of yesterday’s cheesecake blog…

Here goes…Susie is a somewhat depressed…middle-aged house wife…she has found two things that make her feel better while she is doing them…eating…even though she feels guilty afterwards…and her husband wants her to lose weight…and she really does, too…and scrapbooking…

Seizing the opportunity to encourage her to curtail her eating and lose weight…Susie’s husband tells her that she will be allowed to scrapbook…only as long as she is following a reduced calorie eating plan…and is losing weight…he will be doing spot weight checks…if she has gained weight…on one of these checks…he will take her scrapbooking supplies away for a period of one month…during which time she should get her act together and follow her diet…of course…she can still watch others scrapbook…she just can’t participate…just to keep her motivated…

If she has not lost weight at the next weigh in…she will lose scrapbooking for a full year…during which time…she is expected to buckle down…follow that diet…and lose weight…or she will never be allowed to scrapbook again…

Okay…and I honestly want some input…what do you think about this kind of motivation…would it work for you…is the desire for something positive…scrapbooking…enough to prevent you from doing something negative…overeating…

What other interventions might Susie’s husband try when she gains weight…let’s even change it a little bit…let’s give Susie a health condition that would improve greatly if she lost weight…

Let’s remember that Susie is depressed…she’s got some issues…she is using food and scrapbooking to feel better in the moment…

Please…the more input…the better…you are welcome to email me…if you don’t want to post your comments here…I know…some of us are shy…

Thanks!

Jane