Hope Is Real!

Inside God, evil and the immediacy of sorrow and pain are transformed into something of value. Inside God, good is saved in relation to the whole. ~ Monica A. Coleman , Making a Way Out of No Way It's been a while since I've posted a quote! I have been hinting lately that something good is happening in my life right now besides cooking good food, wearing cute clothes, and learning new coping skills, but I have been reticent in saying what. No more! The good news is that I have gotten a job where I will work with adults with developmental disabilities. The job is full-time and with benefits, which is extremely good news for me. Hopefully, this job will allow me to fulfill the dream that I talked about in the "Hopes and Dreams" portion of my In Our Own Voice presentation, which is to be self-sufficient and living on my own. Of course, I know that this will not happen all at once and that I need to wait a while and save my money before rushing out of my parent's ho

Date: Thursday, February 24, 2011 Time: 6:15 – 7:30 p.m. Location: Ridgeview Institute , Day Hospital Auditorium Cost: Free. Candles will be provided. No pre-registration required. More Info: The Candlelight Vigil was originally developed by ANAD (Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders)as a nationwide grassroots event dedicated to eating disorder awareness and prevention. Women’s Services Alumni Association is pleased to sponsor this vigil as an opportunity to promote healthy body image, good health and positive self esteem. Please join us for live music, speakers and a candle lighting ceremony to remember those past and present who have struggled with eating disorders. The ceremony will replace the regular Thursday evening Multi-family Education Group National Eating Disorders Awareness Week, February 20-26, 2011, is sponsored by the National Eating Disorders Association . My Thoughts: Please come! I went last year and I was deeply affected by the program. In fact, I crie

In my last post , my dilemma was that I did not want my really happy mood to change just because of the number on the scale, so now it's time to tell you why I was so happy-I had been cooking some really good food! I don't like making the traditional one meat, a veg, and a carb dinner. I usually go for a one-dish dinner, but last Sunday I decided to do something a little unusual-a two-side meal. Both of the sides had plenty of veggies with yummy turkey bacon for the protein. I made a potato salad with little purple potatoes, called "purple passion," and a succotash with thyme and a little bit of cream. First-Purple Potato Salad (original recipe is at allrecipes.com ) Ingredients: 2 1/2 pounds red potatoes 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar 1 tablespoon olive or vegetable oil 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard 1/2 teaspoon dried basil 1/2 teaspoon pepper 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup plain yogurt 1/4 cup sour cream 1 teaspoon garlic salt 3/4 cup chopped red onion 1/2 cup diced celer

Do you see the corner of that monstrous beast in the background? You know, the scale? Actually, by calling it names, I am giving it way too much power, which is something that I have done my entire life. Today I did something that normally would have really set me back in my recovery-I got on the scale. It told me that I had gained some weight, which is not surprising. Ever since I started taking Symbyax I have been steadily gaining weight. At first, upon seeing the higher number, my shoulders slumped. "Great, " I thought sarcastically. And just as my mood was about to change from really happy to really crappy, I stopped and did a mental reality check. "What can I do about this?" I asked myself and the answer was almost nothing. I am a healthy eater and I certainly am not going to start restricting again, so changing my eating habits was out. I exercise when I can, but I cannot do much due to my schedule and my fibromyalgia, so drastically increasing my exercise

Date: February 24 Time: 8a-2p Where: The Capitol building in Atlanta What: A rally for disability awareness. Theme: Unlock the Doors to Real Communities Events: A rally; a visit from Governor Nathan Deal at the Capitol steps; and readings from " Waddie Welcome and the Beloved Community " by Tom Kohler , co-author, at the Freight Depot Registration: Event Signup Contact: 404-657-2121 My Thoughts: I think this is awesome and I had no idea that this is an annual event until a few days ago. I don't know what time the official rally is, but I want to attend and will probably be there in the morning. I am also glad to learn about the story of Waddie Welcome-I just put the book on my wish list on paperbackswap.com. Here is a review of the book: Born on the 4th of July, 1914 in Savannah, GA with a disability and placed in a nursing home far from his community, Waddie Welcome was an unlikely public figure. His deep desire for freedom drew many friends into his life in ways tha

Soul Feast: An Invitation to the Christian Spiritual Life by Marjorie Thompson – This book is about finding your own spiritual practice in order to enrich and deepen one’s Christian, spiritual life. I really liked the chapters on prayer and hospitality. I also discovered that I already have a spiritual practice, which is intentional reading (I forget the official term and the book is in my car…). I skimmed the chapter on fasting, as that is a very sensitive issue for me. I know fasting has been used for spiritual purposes, but all I can think of is how spiritual fasting has been used to excuse anorexic behavior in some cases and I can’t take even reading about it. This chapter aside, I recommend this book for anyone wanting to learn more about Christian spiritual practices. Etruscans by Morgan Llywelyn and Michael Scott – An imaginative story about Roman and Etruscan mythology. I liked the descriptions of the underworld. I thought it was very interesting how the characters in the