Hi! It's me, again! On to a new adventure!

 Life in the past few years has taking some twists and turns that included another hiatus from blogging, but, here I am, again, and excited to be here! I am probably stating the obvious when I say that 2020 brought a lot of unexpected changes - and that probably is true for many of you, as well. After three years of serving as Airbnb hosts, the pandemic brought that to an abrupt halt. Shortly after that, Norm and I looked at each other and said, "I think it's time to sell the house." That was the sum total of the conversation that led to selling our house and buying a condo in a nearby small town. It is a great fit for us at this time in our lives, and we're very happy about it. 

I've written before about dealing with my health journey. This has included efforts at different times to get a grip on weight-gain. After four Whole30's, which dealt with non-scale victories but weight loss that never exceeded 4 pounds, I determined that I was finished with the Whole30 journey. However, this last March I reached a breaking point. I couldn't find one pair of pants in my closet that I could comfortably button. One prayer I prayed at that time was that God would give me the victory over a spirit of gluttony that I seemed unable to control. Proverbs 23:1-2 says, "When you sit to dine with a ruler, note well what is before you, and put a knife to your throat if you are given to gluttony." It seems apparent to me that if we should exercise self-control in this area before rulers (or those in charge of leading us), that it would be good practice when we are in any other circumstances, as well. Also, I wanted to eat as healthy and as much whole foods as possible, as well. With a health history that includes diabetes and heart disease, I chose to give JJ Virgins Sugar Impact Diet a try. For the first time in 20 years - and having tried many other "diets" - I finally found an eating program that works for me. Notice, I did NOT use the word "diet", as that suggests something temporary that is not sustainable. I need to find a way of eating that I can sustain over the long haul. I can't say that I will continue with this forever, as I also took a break from this for 4 weeks in July and switch gears to do Dr. Alan Christianson's Metabolism Reset Diet, which is essentially a liver detox program, and is not recommended for more that 4 weeks in a 3-month period. I also started walking. If you've read any of my earlier blog posts, you know I have a dog, Nala. She and I have walked at least 15 minutes most days since I got her 13 years ago. That has led to some "non-scale" victories, but not to weight-loss. Since April 2021, she and I have upped our game, so now we walk at least a mile a day, and I walk at other times without her, too. (She is 13 years old, after all!)

The Wandering Nana's

One thing I have sensed lately is the Lord leading me to take on hiking the Ice Age trail here in Wisconsin. I have often considered the Christian life a journey, and this seems to be the next step in my life's journey. A recent scripture I read confirmed that to me. Psalm 84:5 says "Blessed are those whose strength is in you, whose hearts are set on pilgrimage." Just as I have learned some things about the relationship with God as my father/parent by raising children, I believe God has something to show me about my spiritual journey with Him by taking a physical journey. I mentioned my plan to walk the Ice Age trail to Sue, my friend and walking buddy, and asked if she would consider joining me. My initial goal was to start in April 2022, with the thought that I would have time to build up my hiking endurance, but our recent walks have increased in length so that we walked 5 miles on a recent hike. As a result, we decided that  Monday, September 27, 2021, would be our inaugural hike of the Ice Age Trail.

We walked the 2.9 mile segment at Indian Lake, near where we live. It was a gorgeous day - sunshine and a perfect 73°. The hike is considered "intermediate level" with inclines to navigate, and  I found myself huffing and puffing, but I did it, and it felt great! We did the 2.9 mile segment through the park, and then took a trail along the edge of the lake to return to the parking area, so ended up walking nearly 5 miles. We came up with a "trail name", as that seemed like a cool thing to do, so if you see us on the trail, we are the "Wandering Nana's". We are looking forward to adventuring together and meeting fellow travelers!

The colors are just starting to turn.

Quilt Square on a shed

Part of the trail at Indian Lake