Oh no.......diet tracking!

Well, July is almost here, and time to start tracking!  As the month of July was mentioned for this, I just gulped, worried that now it’s going to be right out there as to where my weaknesses are (hmmmm chocolate).  I think I am probably going to discover just why I am one on the team, who is not down a pant size!

As for our families diet, it’s pretty good.  We’ve got the lets hurry meals because we have to have someone somewhere, but overall, we eat pretty healthy.  We are very conscious of what we eat and are into the label reading.  Unlike some people who need little to survive, our entire family is one who definitely needs food.  We would never last on Survivor, and would be first voted off because of extreme grouchiness! 

Although I am a little nervous as to what I will discover, I think it will be good for me.  Logging, for me, has turned out to be a great tool.  It has shown me just how much or how little I’m doing.  It’s right there on paper.  I have realized as I add up my numbers, 50,000 of this or 1000 of that, are not unachievable.  It has actually given me a little push thinking “I bet I can beat that number.”  Of course this is on some of my requirements, not all.

So for this diet tracking, all I can say is please don’t judge.  As we are on holidays, I will probably, ok for sure, eat a good old hot dog or two and a few nibs.  As the saying goes in our house when we indulge on that piece of pie or chocolate, “how many push ups is that worth?”

Alana Regier 

The Month of June

The month of June is flying by.  For our family, and probably many more, it is an incredibly busy month with the winding down of school, the start of holidays and yard work.  A couple of Fridays ago Sifu Brinker was doing the math, showing us just how fast time is going and how little time we have left until grading day.  Yikes!   A tad of anxiousness is setting in.  To add to my list, I have 6 weeks till race day.  What have I done?

Focusing on exams right now is a priority in our home.  Our oldest is in grade 9 and writing finals.  These marks are going to help determine what classes he gets next year in high school. That said, I haven’t been making it to all the evening classes I would like to lately, fortunately the morning classes are working well.  As for the running, I’m not exactly where I was hoping to be at this time thanks to hip and knee issues, but it is coming.   Right now with all the poplar fluff flying around I sound like Darth Vader running through the bush.  

We have well deserved and much needed holidays coming up as soon as the kids are out of school for a couple of weeks.  So what does this mean for training?  Well, on our holidays kung fu books always come with us (just need to open them more).  The shields are going to have to be packed, the foam mats and the good old running shoes.  A person can run anywhere, so that’s easy.  Although I need to keep going with my training, I also am discovering the benefit of rest and relaxation, both physically and mentally. Without taking that time to wind down and spend with the people I love and doing the things I enjoy, I will be one stressed out, grumpy basket case (my poor family). 

Alana Regier

Which Relationship Do I Want to Mend?

About three and a half months ago, at the start of this journey, I was stumped as to what relationship in my life I should choose to focus on mending.  I haven’t had major falling outs with anyone, but rather ones I have lost in the business of life.  As people get busy, move away or just grow and change, relationships can get distant. 

At the same time as I was going through my list of people who I have grown apart from or those who I would like to better my relationship with, I was memorizing ‘ Mastery’ by Stuart Emery.  What kept standing out for me in that memorization was how who and what we decide to surround ourselves with help determine who we become.  “Try surrounding yourself with friends who ask more of you than you do.”  This phrase kept coming to me as I looked at my list and realized that some of the people on it, although I care about them, were probably not the best for me to hang around with in order to become who I want to be, where I want to go and the difference I want to make.  Some relationships are best kept in the past or allowed a little distance.

Two weeks ago at my son’s track and field, I happened to run into a person from 20 years in my past.  Twenty years ago I hurt this person, not intentionally, but hurt none the less.   If we would have run into each other a couple of years ago, I probably would have hid behind the closest tree or tried to lose myself in the crowd because I felt bad and wanted to avoid feeling uncomfortable.  However, I chose not to go that route.  Instead I went right up to talk to them.  I was given the chance again to truly apologize.  This person kind of laughed and couldn’t believe that I still worry about that sh..!  (Their words not mine).  In the end this person thanked me and said my words were appreciated. This wasn’t the relationship I had chosen to mend, but one that circumstances presented me.   I left the school that day feeling happy, first of all because I was given the opportunity and second because I actually took advantage of it.  I don't want to just work on one relationship because it is a requirement.  I want to seek out opportunities continually to better all the relationships I have been blessed with, and to look for ways to right ones where I have done wrong.

As for the relationship I have specifically chosen, it was one that needed attention.  It is one that is close and important to me.  This requirement for I Ho Chuan, has proven to be incredible for me.  It is one that has had a very positive impact on my training.  It has changed where I am mentally and has put me in a better place to tackle what I have set out to do.  Days like two weeks ago are an encouragement for me that I have grown and changed and moving in a better direction to be the person I really want to be.  We can’t change our past but we certainly can learn from it and make better choices today!

Alana Regier

9 Additions

About six weeks ago we had 9 little additions to our family.  It’s been quite some time since we have had a litter of kittens, especially a litter so big for a small first time mom.  The kids, alright myself as well, had been waiting for a long time.   Our little mother kept getting fatter and fatter until finally the big day.

With a litter of 9, these little guys had to fight for food.  So in the process of pushing and clawing at each other to get first dibs, they beat each other up a little, how typical of brothers and sisters!  Needless to say, out of nine, there were at least one or two runts out of the bunch.   So we had started supplementing their meals.  I spent a lot of time every day trying to get them to eat out of a bowl.  I’ve fed the tiny ones separately and watched closely to make sure they were getting their share.  With a little more attention, now you can no longer tell who the runts were.   Three times a day I go out and watch them devour can after can of kitten milk and food.  Man can nine little fur balls ever pack it away.  They have turned into such little people kittens that with the sound of my voice, they come scrambling out of their house full tilt, pushing and climbing over the heads of their siblings.  They are so cute! 

So how can I make this an advertisement for free kittens to good homes and a tidbit of a lesson in my training?  Well short and sweet, time and attention equals growth; whether it is related to kittens or specifically, right now for me, my forms.  I am at a point where I need to fix a lot of details in my forms.  With knee issues, and more recently some sciatic pain, I’ve felt a little uncomfortable with some movements.   So what an opportunity for me to not concentrate so much on practicing an entire form each and every time, but to rather pick out portions and work specifically on some detail within that chunk.  I am hoping with extra time and attention on these, that what I may improve on in one form, will translate into my other forms as well.    

Now I’m at the point where I need to find homes for 8 little kittens.  This is proving to be sooooooo hard.  I have become very attached. I know Darc, I can’t keep 9 kittens.  I think everyone, adults and kids alike, need a cute little kitten companion in their home.   Hint hint……

Alana Regier

A Night at the Mustard Seed

This past Tuesday evening, I had the opportunity to go downtown Edmonton to the Mustard Seed to help serve dinner.   For those that aren’t familiar with the Mustard Seed, it is an incredible ministry in an old church downtown that different groups of people  come in every night (except Sundays) to serve dinner to 200-300 people who have a hard time providing meals for themselves and in some cases, their families.  They have an incredible program for helping people who are in need with everything from home cooked meals, a food bank, household items, clothing and a warm place out of the cold.

What made this time different for me, was that our two boys came with me.  When the mention was made a month ago, our youngest (who is nine), was the first to sign up. He had seen how much Darcy and I enjoyed our evenings there and was excited to be a part of it.

As we were on our way into the city, it dawned on me that more questions would probably come up throughout the evening, and sometimes a little boys’ voice is not as quiet as one might hope.  So we agreed that any questions or comments during the evening would have to wait until we were back in the car. 

I watched as my kids went right at it with washing tables, get chairs ready and making juice.  After each task they would come back eager for the next instruction.  As I watched my kids in their hairnets, aprons and oversized gloves, I couldn’t help but feel proud that they were willing to step up and help a group of people they didn’t even know. 

When the doors opened for people to come in and grab a plate, Brandon was first in the line handing out cutlery, with a smile and “how are you? “  A little further down the line, Kayden and I were on cookie and pudding duty.  After the first few people were served I heard this little, not so quiet voice say “are these people ever nice.”  I couldn’t help but smile.  I watched as people came through the line and noticed that some, who had few words for the adults, always had a thank you for the kids helping.

The entire evening was again fantastic.  I really believe that it is important for our kids to see that not everyone is as fortunate and that there are things that we can do for others that truly can make a difference.  

As we were getting ready to leave, we were invited to stay for karaoke night.  They obviously had never heard me sing! 

Alana Regier

The Knee Bone's Connected to the Hip Bone

Well I have bought the running shorts, the camel back water back pack and now a pair of trail running shoes, but what do I do about my knee?  I have signed up for a leg in the Grande Cache Death Race this August long weekend and am pretty  frustrated that my training has not been where I was hoping.  I have been battling some knee issues for the last few months, which doesn’t seem to be getting any better.  Ice has been my friend.  I was nervous at signing up originally but that soon turned into excitement, and now its frustration.  I have been in to see the doctor and put on the waiting list for an MRI…. the process begins. 

I have realized the hard way how important good supportive shoes are.  They not only need to be comfortable for your feet to feel good but they need to offer support that compliments the rest of your body’s alignment.  For years I heard about how crappy shoes would affect my feet and eventually my knees and hips and etc; how true this is.  The last 3 weeks I have been feeling sciatic pain in my lower back and hip.  I have been visiting my chiropractor this last week and hoping that she can make a difference.  I’m not sure how long my hips have been out of alignment (according to her records it’s been 2 years since my last visit, ouch!), I haven’t been walking with a bad limp yet, but it makes sense that this would contribute to my knee issues. It’s amazing how everything in the body is connected and works together. 

Where I feel issues the most right now seems to be in my forms.  Because we are moving in a deliberate way from stance to stance, at times I feel very off balance or just plain uncomfortable with pain.  It’s funny how some things don’t seem to bother me and others can have me grimacing in pain. Lau Gar is turning into a hard form for me these days, especially the opening bow with the twisting of my upper body.  So at this point I’m taking things day by day and doing what I can without aggravating things more.  I’m staying engaged with my numbers and kms and adding in portions of forms that I need to work on more.  It’s frustrating, but I’m grateful it isn’t to a point where I only feel comfortable lying in bed.  I just need to change my focus a little right now and trudge on.  It’s all good!

Alana Regier

Appreciation for My Community

Last week I had a pretty miserable week, with what started as allergies and I think turned into something else.  I have a whole new appreciation for being able to breathe out of my nose.  When that doesn’t work, the in through the nose out through the mouth goes out the door.  Although the start of the week was crappy, the weekend was great.  The kids and I headed down to the southern part of the province to spend the weekend with Darcy.

 Throughout the weekend, we spent some time walking and wandering through the town.  I was absolutely amazed at how little care and attention was given to the community.  There was garbage everywhere and few garbage cans, neglected grass, weeds all over and out of control and a general run down appearance of a lot of the residences and buildings around town.  It was so hard to walk by and not want to pick the weeds or ask someone if we could borrow a lawn mower.  As we were walking one evening, there was a young kid walking in front of us.  As he walked and came upon a can or a piece of garbage, rather than bend down and pick it up, he just kicked it around as he continued to walk. There was no awareness or care of what he was doing.  From the looks of things around him, he was just following the example of many other people.  It was so hard to just watch and not say anything. 

When we go for walks, we always take bags with us; one for recyclables, another for garbage.  If we forget a bag, there never seems to be a problem finding one hanging in a tree along the way.  Our kids have been taught by example and are right along with us.  This is our community and it is our responsibility to help take care of it.

This weekend I realized what a beautiful town and community we live in.  Care is taken all over Stony Plain, from the gorgeous hanging pots around town, the mowed and well maintained lawns and parks to the recycling facilities that are at the residents’ finger tips.  We definitely live in a community to be proud of.  It is important that we each do our part to keep it that way and to teach our kids and lead by example to others around us. 

It’s good to be home, just wish it was with my whole family :(

Alana Regier