Anticipating April

Tulips in the Gardens at Biltmore Estate - Asheville, NC

March 31, 2012

When one enjoys beauty such as you see in today's picture, how can one not Anticipate April and the incredible surprises it will bring?  March certainly didn't disappoint with its early flowers, record breaking warmth not to mention extreme tornado outbreaks and vivid lightening the likes of which I haven't seen since the early 90's when we lived in Louisville, KY.  Surprises, not all of which are pleasant or wanted, keep us mindful and my 2012 Mantra of viewing life as a constant surprise rather than a series of ups and downs has been instrumental in helping me change the way I view each moment in time.  

March brought another 2.4 pound weight loss.  I had hoped for more and with a higher level of diligence, could've probably had more, but I'm fine with this.  I have just over 10 pounds left to reach my goal and with the same way of eating, I will continue to lose about that much each month.  Should I catch myself becoming impatient, I'll simply spend 17 days in Cycle 1 of The 17DD and speed things up.  Right now, I have settled into Cycle 2 as a way of life with a choice from Cycle 3 once a week or so.  Some days just naturally end up at Cycle 1 days.  Truthfully, I don't EVER see myself moving fully into Cycle 4 or what is referred to as the "Maintenance" cycle.  My greatest challenge from this point forward, will be continuing to be sugar-free and virtually gluten-free.  Right now, it is easy, but I am not foolish enough to think that it will always be that way, nor am I foolish enough to believe that "one bite won't hurt."  

Speaking of "one bite won't hurt," last week brought a challenge from MIL.  In her defense, she has made a ton of progress towards understanding, but then...........this!  Easter and Thanksgiving meals have always been her thing.  Early on in our marriage, we set boundaries with BOTH sets of parents and it was one of the smartest moves we ever made.  But Easter and Thanksgiving became the two events each year which WOULD be at in-laws house, no questions asked. My parents and in-laws became good friends and they are included in the two meals so I'm not complaining. Over time, other close friends have become part of the tradition and I look forward to those days every year.  It's worked well for 35 years.  The other non-negotiable is MIL's Chicken 'n Dumplins and the reason they became a non-negotiable is ME.  That is (or was) my all-time favorite food and hers are the best.   One day last week, she called and immediately said, "you are planning on eating Sunday, aren't you?"  There was no need to pretend I didn't know what she meant, so I very gently said, "no, I won't be eating any dumplin's, but there will certainly be plenty there for me to eat. Her response, "I wish you could make an exception on Easter since EVERYONE THERE KNOWS HOW MUCH YOU LOVE THE DUMPLINS."  And it was in that moment, that I realized she really didn't quite get it.  Nor does anyone else who has never faced a struggle with weight or excessive eating.

Being virtually gluten-free (and totally white flour free) and sugar-free is really such a new "surprise" for me that it's hard to even voice the feeling, but it's not about willpower or deprivation - I simply don't want them.  They don't even sound good any longer.  Even as I write the words, it's seems impossible that they are true.  So sadly to say, I'm approaching the meal with a sense of dread.  I don't want to offend anyone or make anyone uncomfortable, but on the other hand, I don't plan to worry about it either as it is now my normal way of eating and all around me need to accept it and not make a big deal about it.  It's been my way of eating for over four months now.  This isn't new!  

Mr. B and I made our annual spring pilgrimmage to Biltmore Estate this past Saturday.   I've written about Biltmore so many times, I'll not bore you with repeat info, but here are links to two previous posts about our long-standing love for Biltmore.   Beautiful Biltmore and Discovering Hidden Treasures (one of my favorite posts).  Our Saturday adventure was only a day trip, but it was special and we enjoyed every minute of it.  The tulips were exquisite and the color pattern which changes each year, featured my favorite color palette focusing on the purples, lavenders, pinks, yellows and red shades.  One more delightful surprise that awaited us was the converging of so many things blooming at once which normally are spread out from late March through early May.  I squealed with delight (unfortunately, to my own embarrassment!) when I came upon a gorgeous patch of Virginia Bluebells that I didn't even know was there.  And they were exquisite.

Enjoy of couple more pictures of our day:

I have one more surprise to tell you, but it will have to wait.  Because it's a whole post in itself and one I've been anticipating writing for quite some time as it involves a goal I set for myself almost two years ago when I truly began to grasp the joy I would find in the blogging community.  Which reminds me...........I actually have TWO surprise to share.  Will try my best to get another post written this week.   I promise!!

How was your weekend?   Any surprises??