What Time Does the Clock Say?

I am not now, nor have I ever been a morning person. I've never really had a sleep schedule, except when I needed one. When my older children were teens, I didn't get up until they were done fighting over who got the bathroom. Every.schoolday.morning. We had two baths, but one had better lights for hair and makeup. After they were both beautiful, then I would get up with the younger ones. With five kids in ten years, there was never a dull morning. I enjoyed staying up late at night, when it was quiet. That's when I was at my most creative.

Spending nearly five years as a fraternity house mom didn't help my sleeping patterns. The House was pretty noisy til after 2am, and there were often fire alarms, police visits, general rowdiness, and cars slamming into our corner drive in the middle of the night. There were eight accidents while I lived there. It was a bad corner! Thanks to my now husband John for being my Prince Charming and rescuing me. (I really did enjoy my frat house adventures. Most of them.)

Just from my past history my brain doesn't want to go to sleep very early. I try to be in bed by midnight, but that doesn't always work.  Unfortunately, the earlier I retire, the longer it takes me to go to sleep. Tossing and turning. Wondering and worrying.  I love to stay up late at night, for a few reasons. I still like the quietness. Sometimes I watch tv, or read, or write, or sew. I drink herbal tea . And then I go right to sleep when I finally go to bed. However, I no longer have the stamina to follow that schedule more than a few nights in a row. When I stay up too late, I get cranky and need a nap. And not just a little nap. And if I don't take a nap, I want to sleep late on the mornings I don't have to go somewhere and be social. Then the only thing that makes me want to get up is the thought of coffee. I love coffee in the morning. I consider it essential. Curiously, I am mostly decaffeinated now, so that isn't my motivator.

This morning, after going to bed at 2:00, I accidently woke up at 6:00 and decided to be productive. I celebrated with freshly ground regular coffee in my french press. It was a gift from a friend, and I enjoy it when I am having an occasion.

          I always believe in occasions. 

 

 I have been on a diet or thinking about being on a diet for most of my life. Every day I start out making healthy food choices. But it usually doesn't last too long.

When I was very young, we moved next door to my nemesis family. They were all very tiny, delicate people, and constantly made me feel like a giant. In fact, my nickname became "Hippo". I'm not sure why, but that's what "BooBoo" called me. Now with a name like BooBoo, one wouldn't think he would have a lot to say about anyone, but he did. And I was crushed, from a very early age. By the time I was twelve, I had lost some of the baby fat, (with the help of my mother's diet pills!) and I went into the seventh grade without the ugly duckling image I had for so long. During my high school years and throughout my twenties and thirties I hardly ate. I was very careful. I seldom had dessert, and could make an Andes mint last a whole afternoon by taking teeny, tiny bites. I never felt thin, even though I must have been.

I went through all five pregnancies when doctors were advocating weight gains of less than twenty pounds. With one baby I only gained fourteen.

And then one day, I decided I'd suffered enough. I started eating dessert and never shared a mint again. And you can guess what happened.

I have been reading diet books forever. In fact, the first one I ever bought was called "How to Lose the Last 5 Pounds". I especially like to read diet books while I eat.

I've lost weight many times, but never as much as I wanted to lose. I was a regular at Weight Watchers for a while. More than once. I've tried the soup diet, the liquid protein diet, Jenny Craig, the protein shakes diet, the low carb and no carb, keto, south beach, egg and grapefruit, intermittent fasting, and more that I don't remember. I even buy Women's World magazines just to read the weekly diets. High protein, low carb seems to be the thing. I get lazy with anything I have to count, such as carbs, micros, macros, fats, and ounces of water.

I think I know what works for me, and I am trying to start it all again. If only I could follow the diet rules. I am sure there is some secret formula that I haven't learned. I'm reading a new book, and it stresses the right attitude. I think that may be where I'm a little low.

John has more willpower than most. I call him One Cookie John. He can actually eat one small cookie and be satisfied. Who does that?

He just informed me that he is on a diet. He will cut down, weigh himself a lot, and the pounds will fall off. Just like that. And I will probably eat the rest of the cookies by myself.

 Clear Lake is our happy place. John grew up spending some time there most summers. I had never been there at all until we visited about seven years ago. It is a beautiful and quaint little town in northern Iowa, with a lovely, peaceful lake.  

I have to confess that I have never been out on the water. I am the first to admit that I am not an outdoor woman. I know there is lots of swimming and boating and fishing, but not for me. I like to walk along the edge of the lake, and to put my feet in the water. And I like to admire the sailboats. 

When I was in high school I dated a boy for several months who summered and sailed at the lake. He always promised to teach me to sail. I was a lot more adventurous then and would have loved to try it. It was a pretty short romance, and he never kept that promise. Years later, we worked at the same place. I was a telephone operator and he was a Very Important Person. When I said hello he didn't remember me. That turned into one of my Most Embarrassing Moments. (Obviously, there is more to that story). But I digress.

There is an old paddle boat called the Lady of the Lake. We try to get on one of the 90 minute tours around the lake every single time we visit, but something always goes wrong. Either it is the dry dock day or it's too windy, or it doesn't fit our schedule. Once we got very, very close, and thought we were going to actually board, but there wasn't the minimum number of passengers. We only needed a few more, so those of us anxiously waiting tried to entice the people walking by, and even offered to pay a little extra. It isn't very expensive, so it would have been worth it. However, rules are rules and once again we didn't get our lake cruise.  

There is a 4th of July celebration that makes one feel like an old time movie. At the end of the day there are spectacular fireworks on the lake. We have only stayed to see the fireworks once, but it was very memorable. I will say that some of the regulars get very territorial about claiming and saving their places. But usually almost everyone is Iowa friendly. 

 The Surf Ballroom is a great place to visit. Almost everyone who was anyone in the music business played there. It started out with big bands, and by the 1950's rock n roll was the rockin thing!   It first opened in 1933 across the street from its' present location. After a fire it reopened in July of 1948. It is listed on the National Registry of Historic Places. Inside are framed autographed photos of hundreds of famous musicians. There is a great little giftshop and large dancefloor and the original booths. We've been there several times and always notice something different. It's open on weekdays all year from 8:00 to 4:00. During the summer season it is open half days on the weekends.   

The Central Gardens are wonderful to visit. There are twenty three gardens and displays that are always changing. Some of the other places we like to see are the historical society and the firehouse museum. Both are filled with history and information. There are many scrapbooks of local history. John's family lemonade business were venders there for several years for Fourth of July celebrations. We haven't found any photos yet, but we are sure we will.

Of course the main streets are filled with shops and restaurants. Sometimes we go for a day, but we usually like to stay for two or three. The hotels are reasonable. There are a lot of rental houses. Not inexpensive, but they are a nice treat. At one time, we dreamed of buying a house there, but decided we are a one house couple. I think I could live there, but I barely got John to move out of his neighborhood. It's much more fun to go for a few days during the nice weather and pretend. And that is what we will be doing later this week. Maybe this time we will get that boat ride. I am always optimistic!

      Nestled in northern Iowa, the picturesque town of Clear Lake captivates visitors with its pristine spring-fed lake and scenic charm. Conveniently located between Des Moines and Minneapolis alongI-35, it's a haven for travelers seeking relaxation. (from the Clear Lake Facebook page)