Monthly Archives: June 2012

So how do we handle it when one of us loves vegetables and one loves meat,
plus our three boys are living at home this summer and
there’s never enough food in the house?

Vegetable Pizza and Chicken Bar-be-que Pizza

We’d gone out for lunch and were talking about Jerry’s latest house project (he flips houses) so we hadn’t gotten around to discussing what we planned to order.

As I gave my order for a large vegetable pizza to the waiter, Jerry laughed and then proceeded to order a large chicken bar-be-que pizza.

My favorite ........ Jerry's favorite

We each got to eat our favorite type of pizza, the boys were thrilled when we came home with all the leftovers and our kitchen stayed cleaned that evening.

Win—Win—Win!

This is post two in a series of sharing your inspiring stories in my quest to take over the negative news media by sharing positive, inspiring stories from others who are…
doing what they can, with what they have, where they are. 

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Erica Oldham M.D.

Today we meet Erica Oldham M.D. an impressive woman I heard speak at a Women2Know event. I love her attitude of living each day well and I think you will too.

Janet: Tell us about yourself.

Erica: I am in my mid 40s, married and a retired internal medicine physician. Although I am a very independent person I am also very social. I believe in living life to its fullest and I have always had a very positive attitude. I have very little fear in life and believe it is best to take the unfamiliar  road, try the  unknown food and travel to the exotic destination. I am very passionate about world travel, have a great appreciation for food and love animals. I try to be a kind and thoughtful person and believe it very important to give back through volunteerism and to promote positive change in the world.

There’s a common thought that we can overcome obstacles… I’ve found that sometimes we can and sometimes we can’t, but we can learn to live well even with difficult obstacles. What obstacles have you learned to live with and/or overcome?

Erica Oldham MD – India

At age 13 I was diagnosed with a form of muscular dystrophy called FSH. This disease is not life threatening but has caused muscle weakness and secondary arthritis. I can only walk short distances and often require a wheelchair. Most activities of daily living require more energy for me to complete then the average person.

With that said I believe we all have challenges in life and often it is ones attitude that is a bigger obstacle then the actual challenge. I have encountered  people who are unable to deal with a very small issue or challenge and  also those that rise to the occasion without difficulty when faced with extreme challenges.

I believe in looking to oneself to achieve and conquer and it is the individual that has all the power to determine their course in life.

What do you do that others are surprised you do?

Erica Oldham MD – In an Ecuador Jungle

Some folks are surprised that I went to medical school, residency and practiced medicine without any special  accommodation and graduated with honors. I used my life experiences, dealing with a chronic illness to become a better doctor. I understood the importance of taking the time to listen to patients and to educate and involve people in their own medical care.

Secondly I have traveled the world with my husband Dan. If you think of the most impractical places to take a wheelchair, we have probably already been there. We have traveled extensively to locations in Europe, Asia, Africa and South America some of them extremely remote.

Dan and I have learned to improvise when needed and it is not unusual to find him piggy backing me through a jungle or up an ancient flight of steps. we believe in embracing the culture and food of the destinations we travel and always try the unknown.

Erica Oldham MD – Egypt

What dreams and goals do you have for yourself for now and into the future?

I believe it is important to plan for your future financially but I believe in living your dreams in the present. Life is short and I think too many people spend too much time planning for the future but forget to live right now.

What does a well-lived day look like for you?

Everyday for me is a well lived day because I am being true to myself, doing what I want to do in life in the present and trying to give back. I enjoy life, it is that simple.

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Leave your comments or thoughts for Erica below.

Sharing stories is how we grow, how we are inspired and how we learn to live well.
If interested in sharing your (or someone else’s) story,
head over to the YOUR STORY  page, there’s place on the bench for you.

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If you are a frequent reader of my blog, you know that I like TED talks, because I often share them with you. Like this one about health and this one about rowing your boat and this one about unicorns, bubba and happiness, which is one of the best I’ve ever heard.

Not only do I like TED talks, but giving a TED talk is a secret dream of mine.

So I watch TED talks for the content and to learn how to tweak my own speaking style and to make my presentations better. Also I have a short attention span (look, a squirrel)  so another thing that draws me to the TED talks is that they are rarely over 20 minutes long. No one rambles on and on and on…

And recently I discovered Ignite… another type of presentation that has some similarities to TED, but is different.

Ignite is defined as:

Ignite: enlighten us, but make it quick.

Ignite is in over 100 cities worldwide. At the events Ignite presenters share their personal and professional passions, using 20 slides that auto-advance every 15 seconds for a total of just 5 minutes.

Auto-advance slides and only 5 minutes!? That type of format means I wouldn’t even have time to think about squirrels.

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Last year I attended the Fitbloggin’  conference… which is a conference for bloggers interested in fitness, wellness, good food and a healthy lifestyle.

This year Fitbloggin’ is hosting an official Ignite Fitness as their keynote event. They accepted applications for seven potential Ignite speakers slots.

I applied and when the online voting ended, my “spark” (the pitch) had come in third. Woohoo!
The sparks are here, mine is #25.

So I’m looking forward to trying a new format of speaking as an Ignite presenter at Fitbloggin’ on September 21, 2012 in Baltimore, MD.

An Ignite talk that explains what an Ignite talk is and how to give one…

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Would being an Ignite presenter excite or terrify you?
And any suggestions for me as I prepare for my Ignite Fitness talk?

When I was younger, I was very spontaneous. I would do anything at the drop of a hat, which was great, most of the time. But sometimes my spontaneity ended up frustrating me (and others) because I’d get myself into situations that I wasn’t ready for.

I’m still spontaneous, but I’ve learned that certain things in life are better if some planning goes into them. In my late twenties, I started running and while running short distances can be spontaneous, a few miserable-I-think-I’m-going-to-die races soon had me realizing that if I want to do races, I’m going to need to plan.

Side note: an interesting thing happened as I became more disciplined with planning for running, I also became more disciplined with planning in the rest of my life. I doubt if BECAUSE I CAN would ever have been completed, if it wasn’t for the planning and discipline I learned through running.

Running not only keeps my body healthy, it also keeps my mind and emotions balanced. So even if I never did another race, I would run… but because I’m an extrovert and I enjoy new experiences, doing races keeps my running interesting, varied and allows me to experience it with others.

Which is why I look forward to the Runner’s World Half on October 21st.
Runner’s World is hosting a weekend of running and festivities in Bethlehem, PA. With all they have planned, there will be many other runners to connect with, plus since the race is being organized by the experts of running, it’s sure to be a great event.

I often meet people who longingly talk about how cool it would be to do a race someday, but they fail to do the planning needed to make it happen. If you are one of those folks…
today is a great day to change that.

It’s 17 weeks until the Runner’s World Half. Most half-marathon training schedules are 12 weeks long, so I’m not following a schedule yet, but I’m making sure to do a few runs each week, so that I have a good base when I begin doing the long runs.

So whether you are a causal or a hardcore runner, you can easily train for a half between now and October.

But even if you’ve never run a step in your life or been a regular exerciser, if you start going for walks now, you can join me in doing that half marathon!

Seriously!

Go for a walk today. You don’t need an expensive pair of shoes to start walking. Just put on whatever sneakers you have and put one foot in front of the other.

If you want to do something in life
that you’ve never done before,
you’ll have to do some things you’ve
never done before to prepare.

So go for a walk… about 15 to 20 minutes. Do that at least three or four days this week.

Then plan to check back each Monday for another post about what you should be doing to prepare for the Runner’s World Half. Since I do my runs and races with the run/walk/run method I will mostly address that, but I’ll also have links to other schedules.

Spontaneity is great in some areas of life, but to tackle a race, some planning is needed.

Today is the day!
Begin planning and walking.

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If you want to join this weekend of fun, but 13.1 miles isn’t your cup of tea, they’re also having a 5k (3.1 miles) and a 10K (6.2miles).

You interested? Let me know if you need more information or if you have any questions.

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I think our bodies are made for moving… whether that is walking, running, biking or something else. Whatever you do, just move it!

I have a love/hate relationship with stretching… sometimes I’m sure it helps and other times I doubt if it does. And I think walking is the perfect way to warm up for running.

I think saying everyone needs to drink 8 glasses of water a day is not accurate. Our bodies tell us what we need, so listen to your body and use common sense, drink when you are thirsty and drink extra when working hard and/or when in heat.

I think we can control a lot of what happens with our bodies.

I’m a strong believer that exercise helps our brains and improves our ability to think.

And it’s always nice when science and people “in the know” agree with what I think :)

All this and more was talked about in an interview on NPR recently when Terry Gross of Fresh Air interviewed Gretchen Reynolds, the author of The First Twenty Minutes.

I haven’t read the book yet… but the interview is excellent. I will now start doing squats! One thing I disagree with is her presumption that most runners will get injured at some time. I think if we listen to our bodies and train well, most injuries can be prevented.

You can read a few highlights of the interview here.

Better yet, listen to it here. They cover a lot more in the audio than in the written post.

And then make sure you move today!

 I’m off to do squats…

To continue to tweak my speaking skills, I watch a few TED talks a week. I like this one because he covers a lot of information in only five minutes and because the information he presents explains why I’ve been eating a vegetarian diet for over two years.

If you are one of the many people that says they could never totally give up meat… Graham Hill presents another option that might work for you.

In January, 2010, I decided to eat no meat for one month. After that month, I felt so good that I’ve not eaten any meat since. At first I ate fish occasionally, but after a few months, I’ve cut that out also.

Though at times my choices are limited, like when going out to eat or at some events, I rarely miss eating meat. The only meal I miss sometimes is creamed dried beef gravy over biscuits or homefries. Yes, my Pennsylvania dutch roots are showing with that admission.

I enjoy trying all types of new foods now, and a friend and I have started a plant-based cook and share, which has quickly become my favorite night of the month.

Food plays such a large part in our health, that none of us can afford to ignore what we put in our mouth. Take a moment and think about your diet and ask yourself if there’s a chance that in 20 or 30 years, you’ll look back and wish you had changed your eating habits and chosen health over taste.

How many of you have been involved in a conversation where you and/or others were complaining about all the bad news that is in the media everyday? One day after hearing one too many of those conversations I decided to start sharing inspiring stories on this blog.

So I plan to counteract the big-negative-news-media-machine by
doing what I can, with what I have, where I am. 

So today is the first in the series of sharing your inspiring stories.

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This spring, I did the Beat Beethoven Race in Reading, PA. Afterwards I meet these two lovely sisters, Catherine and Joan. They are both firm believers in doing what they can to keep their bodies as healthy as they can.

When I was just picking up speed as a 3-year old toddler running around on my parent’s farm, Catherine was starting to run as a 40-year old woman. And she’s ran consistently since then, doing races of all lengths, even completing one full marathon.

Now at the spry young age of 84, she still runs regularly and she does one 5K (3.1 miles) race a month… always winning an age-group award. 

Note Catherine’s medal—Note my lack of a medal

Though I don’t run for medals, they are nice to get, so I’ll be looking for a race with no other women age 45 to 50, then I can also sport an age-group medal like Catherine does.

Many of Catherine’s friends, along with her husband, aren’t nearly as active as she is, but she has never let that stop her from doing what she can to be healthy.

Almost 30 years after Catherine started running, her younger sister Joan decided it was time to keep up with her older sister. Joan began running at age 57. Now age 72, she joins Catherine in doing one 5K a month.

I look forward to seeing these lovely ladies at another race in the coming months and years.

Thanks Catherine and Joan for doing what you can… because you can!
You’ve inspired me to keep on, keeping on… because I can!

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Often idolized
Romanticized and glamorized
Viewed as a better time to be alive than today

There should be a mirror in everyone’s memory saying certain items are not as good as they appear. While some aspects of life might have been better, this day and age provides more and presents us with more opportunities than any previous one ever has.

There’s been studies that have found somewhat of a reason for the good-old-days-rose-colored glasses… thinking about the good old days triggers neurochemicals that make you feel good. And apparently feeling good causes many to forget the past also had only 24 hours in a day, crying toddlers, conflicts, financial issues, cheating, greed, crime, rape and murder.

Do yourself a favor… stroll through your comfortable house to your perfect Pottery Barn desk and your ergonomically correct chair. Click a few buttons on a gadget made of metal, glass and plastic that instantly connects you, not only with people close by, but the whole freakin’ world!

Do some research on statistics about deaths from childhood, polio, infections and more in years past. Also look up what some of the items you regularly use looked like in the good old days. Can you find a shower, stove, washing machine, refrigerator and lawn mower?

I don’t know how they survived… I couldn’t find any evidence of a Keurig coffee maker.

And think of this… if you are now around 50 and if you lived in the 1920s, you’d be dead or almost dead now. Stick that in your pipe and smoke it.

Plus, have you ever considered that fact that these are the ‘good old days’ future generations will look back on with rose-colored glasses? (okay, maybe not the recession, but in general)

So look around and realize what an awesome time we live in!

One thing we have that our ancestors could not even begin to fathom is endless  opportunities to educate ourselves at no cost.

12 Dozen Places To Educate Yourself Online For Free

12 and dozen together is not a typo… there seriously are 12 dozen places on the list.
And if you read through the comments, you find even more that other readers have left.

So the next time you wish you knew more about so and so… with a few clicks, you can probably remedy that. And with that list, you should never be bored again.

And whenever you get caught in the trap of thinking life in the good old days was better or easier… sit on your porcelain throne in your temperate-controlled bathroom and use your soft 2-ply quilted toilet paper to wipe the rose-coloring off your rear-view mirror.

So instead of complaining or wishing… let’s embrace life today and live it well. And maybe click a few buttons and learn something new, there’s a few dozen places waiting on you.

Life is good… embrace it and live well!

Bucket lists.

They are somewhat of a thing.

A bucket list is a list of things you want to do before you kick the bucket.

Many people have them… on a crumpled piece of paper in their wallet, taped on their mirror or posted on their blog. The lists range from seeing the ocean to programing a game to skydiving to going to Yemen (hey, I’m sure it’s on someone’s list)

I think bucket lists can be cool, but I also think sometimes the true point of them is missed.

Bucket lists can help us think through what we want to do in life… hard things, easy things, serious things and funny things. Things for ourself and things to help others. So these lists can be beneficial to help focus, plan and achieve.

But the point of them is missed when people have items on their list just so they can tell others they did them, rather than doing things simply for the experience of doing them.

While I have a bucket list floating around in my head, I don’t have a written list. But one of these days, I plan to write one. And I encourage you to do that same… whether you write it down or not, at least think through some things you would like to experience before you die.

As David McCullough Jr, a High English Teacher said in a recent commencement speech…

Climb the mountain, not to plant your flag,
but to embrace the challenge, enjoy the air and behold the view.
Climb it so you can see the world, not so the world can see you. 

Who are you? How are you wired? What interests you? What country have you always wanted to travel to? A meaningful life is about experiences that mean something to you. So while you can get ideas from other people and their lists, make your own list.

Then do what you can to take steps toward checking things off your list. More wise words from David McCullough Jr.

The fulfilling life, the distinctive life,
the relevant life is an achievement, not something
that falls into your life because you are a nice person.

Get busy. Have at it.
Don’t wait for inspiration or passion to find you.
Get up. Get out. Explore.
Find it yourself. Grab hold with both hands. 

If you are liking the words of David McCullough Jr, take a few minutes to listen to his excellent commencement speech and then start thinking about and/or writing your own bucket list.

What advice of his stood out to you?
And what is one thing on your bucket list that probably won’t be on anyone else’s list?

In the traditional conservative Mennonite culture that I lived in until I was 20, I was taught to take the Bible literally (the King James Version was THE king). Verses were used to show why women must wear head coverings, why divorce is not allowed and why women are forbidden to be pastors. (though I could never get an answer as to why braided hair was okay or why selling all and giving it to the poor wasn’t the norm)

Then in the conservative evangelical culture I was in for the next 15+ years, I was also taught to take the Bible literally (though now the New International Version was THE version). That was why speaking in tongues was encouraged, why gays were considered an abomination and why women couldn’t be pastors (though now divorce could be justified if one’s spouse doesn’t live up to their vows, but I still couldn’t get an answer as to why selling all and giving it to the poor wasn’t the norm) 

Yet I know most, if not all, the people in both of those cultures will shake their heads at this story about a pastor from a small Signs Following Pentecostal group.

‘Serpent-Handling’ West Virginia
Pastor Dies From Snake Bite

They will ask, “What was he thinking!?”

And many will say that he deserved what happened.

Yet, all he did was take the Bible literally. It’s there in plain words… whether you are reading the King James Version of the New International Version.

¹⁸ They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them… Mark 16:18 KJV

¹⁸ They will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all… Mark 16:18 NIV

Photo by Lauren Pond, Washington Post

The group took the entire verse literally, on occasion they’d also drink poison.

And this pastor handled snakes, even after watching his snake-handling father die from a snake bite about 25 years ago. In an interview last year, the pastor said, “Anybody can do it that believes it. Jesus said, ‘These signs shall follow them which believe.’ This is a sign to show people that God has the power.”

…………………….

Since I began asking questions about religion and faith, first as a teen and then again in the past few years, I’ve realized that everyone picks and chooses what they believe from the Bible. Each denomination, group and sect zeros in on certain verses and makes them their focus. Even churches who promote themselves as being full-gospel churches, because other than this fringe group, I haven’t seen any of them handle snakes, so they are also picking and choosing.

And yes, I know this pastor is an extremist and we need to use moderation and discernment (whose?) and all the jazz… but the questions remain. And that my friends… is why I can’t help but continue to ask why about most things surrounding religion, faith, and God.

Do I think his death is God’s will for him, like some of his followers do? No, I don’t.
Is the pastor’s death his own fault? I think it is.

But having said that, I actually feel sad for this pastor. I’m sad that he felt he had to live such a risky life to please God. I’m sad that his life ended so young.  I’m sad at the separation that must have existed between him and his family in the years before his death, because while his mother attended his church, his wife and children did not. I’m sad that there’s 80 to 100 other deaths attributed to this type of snake handling since its origins in the early 1900s.

Along with sadness, I’m frustrated at the oppression religious mindsets can put on people.

As I wrote in Because I Can… trying to accept my new normal after the accident with the spiritual mindsets of my past is when I struggled with depression the most. It was only when I quit God as I knew him and allowed myself to go through a spiritual renewal that I began crawling out of the dark hole of depression.

And the journey of renewal continues today…

Because life is too beautiful and too short to do anything other than live well.

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