Online School Starts Next Week and I'm Filled With Dread

Online school starts in 4 days and while I am excited for my kids to finally have real structure around their day and start using their brains for more than building Minecraft houses, I am also filled with a sense of dread. 

Taming the Shame Spiral

The other day I ate a lot more than usual in the form of lots of little snacks throughout the day. Those snacks culminated in an all-too-familiar late night snack alone in front of the TV - a crippling compulsive eating habit that over the years has let to weight gain, clinical depression and a paralyzing negative self-image. 

I woke up the next morning, felt the bigness in my stomach and then it began: the negative self-talk. "I overate. I am a terrible person. I hate myself."

But that's when something new happened. I heard my Higher Power's voice

Happy-making Neighborhood Messages

What a different world it has become since the carefree world of January 2020 and my last post. Since the Covid-19 stay-at home order, it's been 88 days of social-distancing, hand-washing, mask-wearing, zoom-meeting, school-struggling, art-journalling, compulsive-sewing and mom-calling. 

I Didn't March This Year, and I Am Totally Fine With It

For the last 3 years, the Women’s March in Downtown L.A. and the Overeater’s Anonymous Birthday Party have been held on the same day, January 18th. For the last 3 years, I’ve made it a priority to march-- which has been a great experience. For some reason this year it was a tougher decision to make. Something inside of me had shifted and was leaning toward the OA Birthday party so that's where I went and I’m happy I did.

Thanksgiving Day Parade Restored My Faith in America

I watched the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and it restored my faith in America-- well, at least for a day. With headlines about walls and impeachment hearings, it's been hard to stay positive about the current state of the union. But watching the inclusivity and diversity in this year's parade performances and even in the commercials, gave me a lift I was not expecting.