While I could have gone to a public library for electricity to access the Internet, I find great comfort in a public restaurant with a hot cup of coffee. I should be thankful the kitchen was not able to serve!
Like so many of you the straight line winds took my power Wednesday morning. So off to school I went with the "best face"" I could put on in the dark. After arriving we found out we were leaving. School is a crazy thing when it comes to weather. Trying to maintain comfort and safety for so many students. It is not just about the 8 to 3 time frame administrators have to consider but also the transportation home. Thursday was announced a no school day early on and now mid-day, Friday has been cancelled as well. I teach with the Jefferson County system where 29 of our 55 schools do not have power. So just imagine the number of students without power and the devastation to the roads the buses would have to travel. My daughter, niece and nephew (all students at UA) are safe and sound. UA has cancelled finals giving the students the option to take their current grade. May graduates will receive their degree in August.
We have WW staff and members who have also suffered from the devastation of this storm. WW would like to hold a clothes/necessities drive to help in the efforts to assists families who lost everything. This would be a great time to clean out our closets and share those items we may be holding on to in case we need them. If we share them, we can't need them and so many in our state do NEED them. You can drop off your items at any of our centers; Hoover, Trussville, or Tuscaloosa. If you attend a meeting at a different location, I will be happy to take your donation to the center.
I hope you all are safe and will see you soon in the meeting room.
Tornado Closings
Due to extensive damage in our Territory, Weight Watchers has closed all meetings in our Central Alabama area for Thursday, April 28, 2011. Be safe.
A Slice of Pie and TV
Creamy Lemon Pie
PointsPlus Values 4
Servings 10
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cooking Time 15 minutes
Rich and creamy…. Make two – serve one and freeze the other for up to two weeks.
| Ingredients 6 whole reduced-fat cinnamon graham crackers |
| 2 Tbsp butter |
| 11 oz fat-free sweetened condensed milk |
| 2 large egg(s) |
| 1/2 cup(s) fresh lemon juice |
| 1 Tbsp lemon zest |
Directions
· Preheat oven to 350ºF.
· Grind graham crackers in a food processor until fine crumbs form. Or place crackers in a resealable plastic bag and crush with a rolling pin. Place crumbs in a small bowl.
· Melt butter on stove top or in microwave and pour over graham cracker crumbs, mixing with a fork until completely moistened. Press crumbs evenly onto bottom of a 9-inch pie pan; place crust in refrigerator while preparing lemon filling.
· In a medium bowl, combine condensed milk and eggs; mix until smooth. Add lemon juice and zest; stir until incorporated and pour into prepared crust.
· Bake pie for 15 minutes. Cool completely and for best flavor, serve chilled. Yields 1 piece per serving.
One Delayed Flight and a Weekend of Changes
My weekend “to do” list began on Thursday and it looked like a roadmap from Birmingham to who knows where. Since I had so craftily explained storyboarding in the meeting room last week, I thought why not approach my weekend the same way. The ultimate goal would be survival and a great weekend.
Each box was a day with a “to do” list. I find great pleasure in crossing off the simplest of task such as dusting! After school Thursday, I ran to the grocery store and then home to begin dinner before leading my night meeting. After all of the running, B calls to say his flight home was delayed 40 minutes. This began the red marks of rearranging events and the skill of being adaptable. A haircut had to be re-scheduled as well as other Friday morning plans thanks to SW! By Saturday an unexpected death re-arranged Sunday. K changed her plans to go to the lake and my Sunday Supper meal was cancelled.
All of this to say, my storyboard now resembles one of my early term papers with items crossed off, arrows pointing items to a new day and a refrigerator full of food.
This weekend reminds me of the value of being able to be flexible with your self and with your weight watchers journey and NOT giving in or giving up! With all of the changes, I actually had a few minutes for my self to do nothing! Taking time for me allows me to realize I did survive the weekend. All family members still love each other. And most importantly, I did not stress out and eat for comfort!
So take time this week for yourself and share how you handle those best laid plans that can change with one delayed or unexpected event?
How do I get there?
When I was a young driver I would often call my dad for directions because there was no such thing as a GPS or even mapquest. He would often reply with “you can’t get there from here” but nevertheless he would begin with specific landmarks and directions. Daddy would break down the destination in small sections for me to follow and sure enough down to the last landmark I never got lost. Breaking down steps to reach a destination may sound easy unless it is the steps you need to follow to reach your weight loss goal.
In the meeting room this week we are discussing breaking down the steps to participate in the third annual Walk It Challenge. On my flipchart I am demonstrating how to storyboard your goals. As you reach your weekly goals, a star is placed in your booklet. A star! “A” runs into the meeting room from the weigh in area, “I am all about earning the golden star” she proclaims. I could not have timed her energy and excitement any better. But the best part of her story was her celebration. Acknowledging her initial inspiration came from another member she met week 1 of her journey. During her first week she noticed “the skinny girl” and wondered why was she in a Weight Watchers meeting until “the skinny girl” said she was a lifetime member and had lost 40 pounds! “A” is now determined to use her new friend as her mentor. Today, “A” celebrated that she hit 41 pounds of weight loss! As she announced, “I am not the skinny girl yet, but I lost 41 pounds”!!!! The room cheered for both members.
Use the storyboard to set your goals. From the Weight Watcher Tools for Living, here are the steps for storyboarding:
Make A Storyboard
Here are five steps to creating your own Storyboard.
Here are five steps to creating your own Storyboard.
1. Decide on the mini-goals that will help you achieve your Winning Outcome.
2. Decide which goal will be first on your Storyboard, which will be second, and so on. That way, you'll be able to see your progress towards achieving your Winning Outcome.
3. Remember, shorter-term goals should have the same characteristics as your Winning Outcome; namely,
2. Decide which goal will be first on your Storyboard, which will be second, and so on. That way, you'll be able to see your progress towards achieving your Winning Outcome.
3. Remember, shorter-term goals should have the same characteristics as your Winning Outcome; namely,
- Positive
- Within your control
- Specific
- A good fit with your life
4. Draw or write out the steps, from Goal One through your Winning Outcome, on cardboard, paper or similar material.
5. Post your Storyboard somewhere you'll see it every day, as a reminder of far you've come.
5. Post your Storyboard somewhere you'll see it every day, as a reminder of far you've come.
Decide this week how you can use the Storyboard method to reach a goal. Your goal may be like “A’s” to reach a certain weight loss or to walk/run in the Walk It Challenge but remember a picture is worth a thousand words and this just may be the map you need to get to your destination.
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