Welcome and come on in for the first coffee of the New Year. How has the year been for you so far? Did you set resolutions? I hope if you did you have done better at keeping them. I only set one and that lasted two days. The constant battle will continue however in the weight department. Any tips gratefully received although I know what I have to do I just don’t seem to be able to muster the passion I need to do it. In fact at times I say “I’m just going to embrace fat.” If it was just body image I could happily do that but I fear that it affects health and that and mobility as you get older have to be worked at. Anyway, I’m being rude chattering when I haven’t even offered you your choice of beverage. What would you like? I have most things.
If we were having coffee I’d tell you that I have really enjoyed these last weeks of having little on. It has allowed me to totally relax. I feel as though I am on holidays and that is wonderful. I could have gone dancing last night but even that didn’t make me want to give up my holiday feel. This coming week it is as though the holiday is over. We have appointments and regular activities that are commencing again. I’ll dance next week.
If we were having coffee I’d tell you that I am well on track to completing the final edit of my memoir Nightmare in Paradise. That has really buoyed my spirits. As you can guess from that I have been spending my holiday time writing, reading, gardening and eating.
Because I have been doing little that you want to hear about I am going to have a brief rant instead and perhaps someone can explain it to me. In our public carparks we have the parking bays closest to the shops reserved 4 for disabled, 8 for mothers with prams leaving 3 more spots close to the shops. Why do mothers with prams need these parks at this proximity. Surely they are the fittest they will ever be at this age. What about those elderly who don’t fit the criteria for a wheelchair permit but are still weak and infirm, walking with walkers and sticks yet have to park a long distance from the shops. I just don’t get it. Rant over.
One thing I love about the blog world is that it sends you on journeys that you probably would never have taken but for a chance comment, a prompt you need to research or just random reading of others words. Such an occasion happened with a comment that explained to me where Bobby as a term for policeman came from. I didn’t know that it came from Sir Robert Peel but the name immediately clicked. I had to find out what the name had triggered in my memory. He was a Prime Minister during Queen Victoria’s reign and quite an incredible man working toward free trade and peace back then in the early 19th century. Revisiting this I found some quotes that I just had to share:
quotes from Sir Robert Peel
Reflections and Nightmares- Irene A Waters (writer and memoirist) 
In California at least, it’s very common for totally healthy people to take handicapped parking places because there’s so little chance of being caught and fined. And, doctors giving placards to college and professional athletes. “Handicapped Parking” must mean “handicapped hearts.”
I’m glad to see you making progress on your book!
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What are doctors thinking. My Mum has a disabled sticker but Roger’s father, in his nineties in the UK requested one so he could get to the library where parking was just too far for him to walk. The doctor said – “how did you get in here” “Walked” said Roger’s dad and the doctor said ” Well you don’t need a permit then.” From one extreme to the other.
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Thanks for the bobby explanation and quotes. lol I just lost about 7 kilos climbing 140 steps x 3-5 per day, let’s see if it stays off now I’m sedentary .. 😉
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I’ll work out how many times I would have to go up my stairs to make 360 stairs. I’ll try anything.
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I did that at an extremely high altitude, that would add to the impact … 😉
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I’m not going to jack the house up too. 😄
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now you’re just creating excuses, why not?? lol
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I can understand the moms with prams because they have to get the child in and out of the car and the pram and into and out of car safety seats without having their child, themselves, or other drivers hurt. Add to that the fact that many have more than one child so keeping them safe in close proximity to cars in car parks who are looking for a space and not a child, it might become clearer. I think that at that point, it is about safety, not convenience. But I also understand your point about the elderly. Last week I started an 18 meeting health class at the hospital. It took me 15 minutes to find a parking space. I walk with a cane and am quite slow at it. It was raining. I was soaked for the 2 hour duration of the class. Most of the handicapped spots were vacant. The other reserved shots were for clergy and police.
No resolutions. I just set goals to work toward. Happy new year!
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Protection of other children makes sense. I might try and be a bit more tolerant but I do feel for those old folk who struggle to walk.
Good luck with your goals. Mine were more goals apart from the weight thing too. Happy New Year Corina.
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Nice post, Irene.
If you really want to go down in weight, it is not enough to cut fat out, also sugar needs to be eliminated, which can be more difficult, because so much contain sugar.
Here in Spain, I do also see people parking at the handicap places, but our police are fast out and give tickets to those, who don’t follow the rules there. This helps to keep those places free, as we also do have many, as are allowed to use them.
I don’t put up resolutions for a year ahead. I prefer to live most possible in the moment and work against my goals this way. A little by a little and one day I will be there.
Wish you a new and wonderful year.
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Sugar is the thing for me and to stop that I need passion and so far the passion is elusive. Goals are a better way to go – you can achieve via very small steps and even the smallest step is a win. Resolutions are too big and too easily broken.
Glad to hear the Spanish police look after the disabled.
Hope you too have a very happy and increasingly healthy New Year.
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Thank you very much, Irene.
I prefer the small steps too.
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I lost weight once. It has since found me. I am afraid I may have to drink less… beer. Dang. Oh, and move more. So one way is to park at the far edges of a parking lot, forcing a walk.
Walked quite a bit on the recent carless vacation to Nashville. Of course we walked to beer joints.
The cold continues in the northeast, and windy.
And holidays are definitely over.
Take care.
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LOL. That is funny. It has found me also. Hope it is not some of yours that is still lost. If it is you can have it back. Beer is a killer. Sadly I have given up everything I can that piles on the weight some years back and I do a lot of exercise. I just eat too much and I enjoy it too much.
The holidays are over here as well. The crowds are thinning. Hope you warm up soon as I hope we cool down soon.
Cheers Irene
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Weight, the dreaded battle. I lost 20 pounds over the course of the last year. I like to just make small “life style changes” one at a time. Starting with fluid intake, making the bulk of what I drink water and sticking to it for a few months till it becomes a regular habit. For me then I address night snacking because it is my worst enemy (I switched to frozen fruit and/or herbal tea). Really though if we are comfortable in our own skin who cares about the number on the scale. Another great coffee post, thanks for sharing.
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Yes weight is a constant battle. It didn’t used to be but it is now. Most things that are high in calories such as soft drink and alcohol I gave up a good 5 years or more ago. I’ll try the frozen fruit for snacks. I do get a hunger around 4pm and then I have a need for something sweet after dinner.
Thanks for dropping in for coffee.
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I have been trying to increase my water intake and cut down on sugar intake. I am addicted to sugar. It is so hard.
Where I live, we have spaces for “handicapped” (which require placards or special license plates) and sometimes spaces for “expectant mothers.” When I had babies and toddlers, I didn’t care so much to park close to the store, but I always wanted to park close to the shopping cart return areas…so that I could load my kids back in the car and not have to walk too far to put my cart away.
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I was told the other day that if you crave sugar then you are most likely lacking iron or Vit C or both and that the way to stop the craving is to eat pineapple about a 1/3 of a pineapple per day. Either drunk as a drink with coconut water or eaten. I’m off to the supermarket tomorrow to pick a pineapple up. I’ll let you know whether it works.
That makes a lot of sense parking near the trolley return. It also made sense that if the mother had other children she may be manipulating a lot of squirming kids that could be in danger if she had to park further away. I’d like to see the statistics on injuries in shopping centre car parks.
Thanks for dropping in for coffee Amie. I’m way behind in my visiting but hope to drop in on you this week.
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I will have to try the pineapple. Thanks for the tip!
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