From Belgium, with love

I am back in the motherland for a vacation. My husband, two boys and I are staying at 'Ama's house', Ama being the name my oldest son gave my mother when Oma was still a bit too difficult. She likes the unique feel of it and has always remained Ama. His other grandmother is 'Mimi'. Again a unique name. I am more of a traditionalist myself and would have gone for the traditional oma and granma or gran, but who am I to insist on that when both Ama and Mimi are absolutely delighted.
Back in Belgium I am for now. While the weather has not been so kind, we have visited parks and wandered around the streets, seen the cathedral and the river and spend times on the tram as well as gazing at the trains on magnificent Antwerp, central Station.
I have so far kept myself from wonderful Belgian pralines, but succumbed to way too many fries, and a box of commercial chocolates. I am determined though to weigh a little bit less in two weeks when I return home than I weigh now. Living in South Carolina can sometimes give you a false image of what normal weight is. We are in the top five I believe, of the most obese states in the US, which is the most obese country in the developed world.
I remember when I arrived in the USA that I was shocked to see so many people THAT overweight. I was never a size zero, but I was slender and fit. Five years of driving everywhere by car and have too much food too easily available, combined with stress and children have done a number not just on my weight, but more importantly on my perception. Grabbing a cookie from the pantry is perfectly normal. Grabbing five cookies because you have not had luch, and emptying the sleeve later on is not. Not taking care of yourself because others take even less care is wrong. It's like boiling frogs, you adjust and adjust... without noticing and then all of a sudden you have gained twenty pounds and are wearing your maternity jeans 6 months aftr giving birth.

Things need to change. I do not have the time or the mental energy to do a complete haul over fitness program, but I need to start with awareness. I need to start with small measures. Ten minutes of fittness a day when I get back home. And leave off the cookies. As everybody knows the diet that you will start after new year or after your birthday has much less chance of being successful than the diet you start now. So because of that, I started two days ago, not as much with a diet, but with more awareness. I am grabbing my needles in the evening instead of a chocolate (or three, or four), and if I absolutely must have a snack, like this morning when one of the children had eaten half my breakfast, a piece of fruit is a better choice.
Now hold on tight, I want the more slender, healthier, and more positive me back. And I am going to do something to get it!

My new hair style

With all the excitement of the new year, I forgot to mention my new 'do'. Cutting my hair was a big deal for me. I always had it long. Most people will say it still is long, but it has not been this short for well.. ten years.
I love long hair. I love the way it feels and I love the way it makes a woman look more feminine. Unfortunately my hair had become more of a nod to femininity than truely a statement. It was damaged and there had not been a decent cut in it since shortly after my wedding. The last thing I wanted, blogging so often about being modest without being frumpy, was to look like someone who had let herself go.

I have, however, a healthy fear of hairdressers who see long hair and just itch for the scisors to make you look 'modern'. In other words, they just want to cut it all off, regardless of your own wishes. It never seems to be too short in their opinion, and many of the 'stylists' in cheaper salons don't seem to have a concept of what flatters a face or what fits a certain style. There are of course great hairdressers out there, but I just didn't know one. At least not here.
My hair, my 'crown and glory', was not something that I would let any stranger cut. Hair does grow back, but it can take a long time, so I wanted someone I trusted.
So I waited till I went to Belgium to ask the hairdresser that did my hair for my wedding. I admit I had some regrets when a whole lot came off. But it still looks long, it's ultra feminine, and it DOES look a whole lot better. Now I just need to learn how to style it on a daily basis!