Well, some of us have been blasted with snow or cold. My blind, diabetic rescue dog is wearing his little polar fleece jacket these days. I put up the Christmas tree last weekend. I love that time of reflecting on each of the ornaments...I think the Christmas tree is sort of a life review tree giving me memories of each moment. I had some radiant friends here and they were laughing. My ornaments are weighted in favor of Golden Retrievers and Maine stuff. I also have been working on making a scarf for a friend. I went to visit, took my dogs. Ronan, the invincible, decided her knitting was close to some furry animal and he killed it for her. So I decided to do a restitution scarf. Well last night, Mr. Ronan was mad at having to stay home while I went out to give a talk, and now that he has had the taste of scarf blood he found *my* knitting and took care of it. He was delicate though and ate only my expensive knitting needles without unraveling the scarf. Today I will have the task of restringing my imported alpaca yarn. The lighted reindeers are on the roof, this weekend I will put up my new Felice Navidad sign. Yes, you can hear that this time of year brings out my crafty side. The sign is also a great accomplishment. I used to have one. It got lost. I have looked for years for a replacement. This year I decided recovery meant....make one. So I went to the craft store, bought blank letters, spray painted them and then drew little holly leaves on them. It went well except for some spray paint on my little oak tree. (Smile) I will be going to NYC this week. First out to the end of Long Island for a quiet time with friends and then back to the city. I will be taking my daughter and grandsons to see the Lion King, then back home for NM quiet. We will be starting these new classes this week (12/6). Please click on the name of the class you wish to join and it will take you to the registration page: Step 2: Journal, An Introduction will teach you the basics of journaling. The class will give you step by step instructions in how to record your food and feelings in a way that gets you excited. Step 4: More Intriguing Than Your Think is the potato class. Come learn everything you ever wanted to know about the timing, size, frequency of your potato. Learn about the best vitamins and talk all you want about them. This is a nice way to strengthen and refine your step 4. Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Our Products is a free guided tour of the Radiant Recovery Store. David will walk you through what we have and why we carry it. You can ask questions and get details. We will be starting these new classes the week of 12/13. Please click on the name of the class you wish to join and it will take you to the registration page: Step 1: The Art of Breakfast is our foundation class to get you started. Learn all four parts of step 1 in a structured way. Learn how to progress through them with enjoyment. Let us support getting your program off to a fabulous start. Step 2: Journal, Skillful Use is the next level of journaling. This is for those of you who know *how* and want to learn what to do with your data. This class shows you how to interpret what you have written in an exciting and pragmatic way. Using the Resources of the Community is for those of you who are brand new and would like to find your way around town. Come sit on the top of our double decker bus for a guided tour. And even if you are not brand new, this is a really fun class to reconnect with all the treats of the community. Holy Night is a free once a year class for those of you who want something different for the holidays whether Christmas, Channukah or Solstice. This class is quite a bit different from other classes and the lists. We will be not be talking about the food or the steps. We will not be talking about all the problems. Nor will we be talking about concrete specific things to do. This is not about problem-solving (smile). This class is about being quiet and remembering something about this time. Each night I am going to give you a reflection with some homework to do. Your task is to do the reflection, the homework and then share just that. I have posted a new class schedule on line. Click here to see what is planned. A number of you have asked me how the classes work. Check the class list page for more information on this. The classes are done online with one lesson each day. You do not have to be at your computer at any set time. And please go read the questions and answers before you write to me. If you have trouble getting through the process, write the tech forum. Please feel free to pass this week's newsletter on to your friends and family. Don't forget to let me know what you like and would like to see me cover. Be sure to visit our Radiant Recovery® website and Community Forum regularly. Warmly, Kathleen **********************************************************************
December 4, 2006 ** Quote From Kathleen **
Not remembering is significant information - sort of like standing up a date. *********************************************************************
** Testimonial for the Week**
I've really been enjoying reading this discussion. It's interesting because when I started the program I can remember feeling like some of the parents on the list were downright mean. I felt like no one understood. My kids would never go for that, they'd have tantrums, they'd starve. I had a long list of excuses, but after a while it started to sink in. I needed to be clear that breakfast is non-negotiable. We are carb lovers in our house so the protein is the hard part. I started giving protein first. I never asked what would you like for breakfast. Instead, I asked what would you like for your protein this morning. Once they'd eaten their protein, they could have their carb. I started involving them more and more. Alex learned to cook eggs in the microwave and both girls can make their own shakes. We experimented together. We shopped together. They learned to read labels. I can remember feeling so overwhelmed with trying to get everyone protein in the morning. Now it is automatic. The parts where I'm clear, there are no arguments. Definitely something to think about. Emily ********************************************************************
**Recipe of the Week**
This is one of the recipes from my upcoming Nutritious and Delicious Kosher Cookbook. It is a really delicious side dish to any meal or could even be served as a warm dessert. CARROT KUGEL (PUDDING)
********************************************************************
**Your Last Diet: More Than What You Think**
Whenever I read the title of this section, I smile. It is way more than you think. An awful lot of people are losing weight these days. It becomes so functional. I will get a 3 page report on how they are doing and then in the last paragraph, oh by the way, I have lost 40 pounds. It is an afterthought. All those years and years of fretting just slip away...they just do the plan, and lose the weight. If you are not a YLD member, come and join us. Click here if you are ready to change your life or just plain ole have fun. It is not too late to get into the classes if you come right now. ********************************************************* ***********
**David's Corner **
Please send questions and suggestions. I love hearing from you and truly want to help you do your program better. ********************************************************* ***********
**Our Online Groups**
Hi, I'm Naomi and the liaison for the Recipe list. I just love cooking, reading recipes, altering recipes and playing around in the kitchen. I would love for you to come join us to talk about program-friendly recipes, how to do some altering of recipes to fit your radiant lifestyle, and general overall food and recipe chit chat. Hugs, Naomi ********************************************************************
**Step 7 Furniture Making** Kathleen DesMaisons, Ph.D. We got into a discussion on the Step 7 list about putting together office furniture. Tom said his wife came in and remarked that she couldn’t believe it was the same guy. He used to freak out, and throw things. This time, he was just putting it together. Karen added her comments. "IKEA is a Scandanavian store with great furniture all neatly packed in efficient boxes. You have to put it together." Here is Sandy’s explanation of IKEA: "It's a store where you buy furniture that requires self assembly. Because it's a European store with US distribution the assembly instructions have no words in English, only pictures, so it's challenging to put the stuff together. The shopping experience is pretty special too. My friend's daughter (13) described it as like 'being sucked in to a vacuum of busy confusion'. The prices are very reasonable though and the restaurant has some tasty snacks." Here is Karen’s road map of what doing the food does: "Laughing here - but there is an IKEA challenge for step 7 that comes before putting the furniture together. Challenge: Go to store with partner and shop. Outcome: Argue, go home in strop. Test result: Start reviewing steps and do not return to IKEA until steady on step 7 Challenge: Go to store with partner and shop. Outcome: Argue. Test result: Not steady on step 7 Challenge: Go to store with partner and shop. Outcome: Begin to feel slightly irritated by partner's lack of enthusiasm for shopping task, look at watch and abandon shopping and go to IKEA canteen for food (using own oatcakes from handbag as a brown and shunning the sauces), finish shopping, come home still on good terms with partner and then laugh as you put the furniture together. Test result: Definitely steady on step 7 Yep - this really does chart my progress through the steps, LOL. Funny how I can measure my radiance from little things like this." Karen I think Karen has caught the essence of what we do. Keep doing the steps and something happens. Shopping is different. Christmas is different. Your brother is different, your parents are nicer. Your filter changes. Sometimes you see things you didn’t see. You decide that battered wife syndrome won’t suit you any more. You decide you don't want to work in a dysfunctional job any more. After a while, you start seeing that something is happening here. You thought you were dealing with sugar addiction. Turns out you were changing your life. And I know when you are just starting, this seems inconceivable. You think it is not for you, or that we are just kidding. It still seems a little outlandish even to me and I have read almost a half a million notes by now. But the evidence is irrefutable. Come over to the forum and join us in discovering these little changes. Kathleen ©Kathleen DesMaisons 2006. Here are the folks who are helping put the newsletter together: Gretel, the liaison for the recovery list and the webmaster puts it all together Naomi gathers the recipes. David, who runs the Radiant Recovery® Store talks about what new products we have. You are getting the weekly newsletter from Radiant Recovery® in response to your signup. A copy of this newsletter may also be found posted on the web at http://www. radiantrecovery.com/weeklynewsletter.htm. ©2006 by Kathleen DesMaisons . All rights reserved. You are free to use or transmit this article to your ezine or website as long as you leave the content unaltered and use this attribution: "By Kathleen DesMaisons, Ph.D. of Radiant Recovery®. Please visit Kathleen's website at http://www.radiantrecovery.com for additional resources on sugar sensitivity and healing addiction." Please notify me at kathleen@radiantrecovery.com to let me know where the material will appear. Banner Photograph by Geraint Smith |
