Blessed

  Life has a funny way of working out how it should be. God truly works in mysterious ways. You see this guy right here, Tom Balata,  came back into my life in 2017 after a 30 year absence. We met in junior high sometime. My earliest memory is 8th grade. We dated for a minute back then, as most junior high relationships do. 

  I was lucky enough to have lunch with him one day in 2017 and was mesmerized by his intelligence. Truly, I fell in love with his mind that day. We kept in touch throughout the year and when I moved out into my own apartment (and out of my previous relationship), we started hanging out and doing things together. We've been together ever since, almost daily. He's been my rock and my angel through some tough times as I started my self-healing journey and adjusted to single life and living alone.

   It's been 5 months (in April) and through all my self-healing, anxiety and doubt, he's been right there by my side, handling my every emotion in a true gentlemanly fashion. I am blessed beyond measure. I didn't know such a man existed until now. I didn't know how he would affect me and change me on the inside. I've never been happier and more at peace than I am at this point in my life. My love for this man is immeasurable beyond words. I can honestly say that my love for him is comparable to my love for my children.  Every single day there is something new to discover with him. He teaches me about life, even when he doesn't intend to. I can only hope and pray that my daughters find such a man. 

  He is humble, kind, compassionate, smart, funny, intelligent, and all around amazing. I pray every single day for him and us. He is my gift from God. Yes, I truly am blessed beyond measure.

I love you always,  

TT

Back at it!

I'm going to have to start blogging again. Not for any of my previous purposes, but more for just getting my thoughts out into some form of writing.

So many things have happened since I've last blogged. I don't have time to go through them all right now, but I will address it in the next posting.
Stay tuned folks! 💓 Happy Tuesday!

Thanksgiving 2013

For those of you who don't know, Thanksgiving was the holiday that my dad, my sister, and I always spent together. My mom always worked on Thanksgiving, but never failed to prepare a feast for us to eat when she got home. We almost always had duck. At least it was a bird. 

Last night I had the opportunity to go out into the night (something I rarely do anymore) and listen to the great Denny Tuma play his saxophone and tell stories of my dad.  I was reminded of my dad's love for the almighty can of Fix A Flat. Denny told a story that took place in Decorah, Iowa one night on their way home from a gig they had played.  They got a flat tire and while Denny offered to change the tire because he was younger, my dad whipped out his can of Fix A Flat and proceeded to "fix" the flat tire. Denny had never seen the stuff before and was amazed. This was a story I had not heard until last night. A rare memory indeed that I will treasure always.

I presented Denny with a framed photo of a montage that contained my father's things last night. He was so moved that he let a couple tears roll down his cheeks. I was happy to give it to him as he was my father's best friend and band mate. 

This Thanksgiving, I'm reminded of the little things that make the difference in people's lives. It's a photo or a story or just spending time with loved ones. 

So enjoy that today, for time is so precious.

Happy Thanksgiving to you all.

Love,

TT

2 Years, 1 Day

Two years ago I opted to change my life. Little did I know that it would be a blessing and a curse. I had bariatric surgery (the Sleve Gastrectomy procedure) to help me loose the extra weight that I had been carrying around since I was 10 years old.

So today, November 18, 2013 marks the 2 year and 1 day anniversary of the above mentioned surgery.  I took my measurements this morning, as I did last year and every month for the first year, so that I can see the progression or digression.  Here they are.

Weight=178 pounds (up 12 pounds from last year)
Hips=44.5 inches (up 2 inches and my pants tell me this)
Waist=34 inches (up 1 inch)
Bust=37.5 inches (up 1.5 inches, more boobies for me!)
Chest=34 inches (down half an inch)
Thighs= R=27.5, L=27.5 (up 2.5 inches and symmetrical)
Arms= R=14, L=14 (up 1 inch and symmetrical)

So while I've digressed a little bit, I am not worried about it as it's been about the same for the whole last year. I see the dietician and the doctor tomorrow and I'm sure they will be pleased with my stability, but at the same time last year, the dietician told me that 140 pounds was my "healthy" BMI range to shoot for. Not sure that I agree with her, but it's something to shoot for. 

Remember in the beginning that I did not set a weight loss goal, but rather my goal was simply to fit into my sister's clothes. While last summer I achieved that goal, now I must set a new one (or two) for the next year. 

This next year I would like to lose 28 pounds and get down to 150.
I would also like to start exercising more so that I can tone up instead of flab down.

I'm hoping with the new position at the Faribault Correctional Facility, I will achieve these goals.  That's a lot of walking and being on your feet, which burns way more calories than sitting on your ass charting about behaviors. 

Until next time,
Love,
TT