Necessity IS the mother of invention! Here’s my solution to getting my morning java after my coffee maker died.
What is the LAST thing you’d like to happen in the morning?
For me, it’s to have my coffee maker die without expelling even ONE drop of my much needed vice. OMG, what to do, what to do? I jumped in my car and drove up to the nearest grocery store that happens to have a ubiquitous Starbucks nestled inside. It will take two days to get a new coffee maker as I do all of my appliance shopping via Amazon, and that means I am facing TWO, COUNT ‘EM TWO mornings where I either have to don clothing at a ridiculous hour of the day in order to frequent said Starbucks, OR come up with a new way.
I thought it through and came up with the photo above. Boil water on the stove, place my freshly ground coffee beans in my strainer over a glass measuring cup and drip the water through by hand! Pain in the you know what, but guess what? It freaking works! I was so proud of myself.
I didn’t give up, I found a way.
Life is Change
Lately I’ve been pondering change and what’s up with my life. Even though each day seems the same as the day before, and when folks ask Mark and me what’s new, we usually reply, ‘Same old, same old.”, the truth is that life has marched on bringing new adventures and circumstance.
I’ve been working more and more on my voice acting and writing. Mark and I have been going out with friends and planning to travel. When I look at my life I see I am blessed to have accomplished the goal I set out to do with Compulsive Overeating Diary. I AM living a life free of fear of food where relationships are more important than my compulsions.
I feel stable, usually brave, and able to face my life. Less and less do I think about what I eat, or why, or what I weigh. As I wrote in my last blog entry, even when I’m not eating due to hunger, I am able to mindfully think about what’s under the desire to eat, and can now, thankfully, find that out in a few bites vs. an entire bag of chips. If you read this poetic moment you will understand I am far from perfect in my eating, but I’m fine with it.
For those who are curious, I don’t follow any diet plan or restriction. However, I find myself going more and more down the veggie path. I eat primarily a vegan diet because that’s what feels good to my body and to my heart (and keeps my voice in good shape). I won’t say I AM a vegan, because from time to time I eat differently. This is how it shook out for me. I look at eating very differently than I did at the start of the show. The principles of Intuitive Eating truly taught me to listen to my body. To pay attention to how it feels. Applying some of those principles also taught me to pay attention to my life and how that feels.
Time to Say Good-Bye
And right now I realize that the run of Compulsive Overeating Diary podcast is almost over. I have moved on in my own life where I need more time and energy for my voice acting and for adventures Mark and I plan to have together. I feel good that I accomplished my goal, even though it didn’t include losing much physical weight. I might make a new show some day to feature stories and creative pursuits, but right now, I’m happy hanging up the podcast shingle.
What’s the Plan?
In the next week or so, I’ll record Day 119 to announce this to the listeners who don’t read the blog. I’ll also let you know that you can send in audio good-byes or participate in any of the features that you’d like. Then sometime in August I’ll use whatever I receive and record day 120 as the last episode.
I’ll also keep the blog live and write in it from time to time. If any big news happens, or if it strikes my fancy, I may also release bonus shows too. But right now, no other episodes past 120 are planned. The old episodes will remain live for at least a year. Then I’ll determine if enough new BCs are downloading them to make it worth the expense of keeping them.
Please feel free to comment as you like or to reach out to me, because even though the podcast is wrapping up, I will still always, really, really care.
xoxoxoxox
XOXOXOXO
sending wahooooo’s to you Laurie for being AMAAAAZZZZING & bringing joy & laughter to my life…. For your companionship on many a Wog-a-bout s and thru my journey!!
So proud of you for listening to you and living FOR you and your marriage!! 100% Awesome Sauce!!
Thanks Dawny, Hugs right back atcha! xoxoxox
May your next adventures be just as you wish, Laurie. 🙂
In a way, I am happy to read of the end of this one, as it has opened up to the beginnings of so many more.
Thank you for sharing part of your journey with us Brave Companions. Your stories are so very appreciated.
Smiles!
♡eM
Thanks eM. I’ll still have plenty of stories from time to time, just written for awhile. I’m so glad you found us and we had the chance to share part of this road. xoxoxox
I’d be having a stroke no coffee. I love your BRILLIANTLY crazy-crafty-ness Laurie. Wahoooooooo.
True I’m crafty, but counting the minutes ’til the new coffee maker arrives. Hah!
I won’t and cannot say I’m sad for you, dearest Laurie. I’m only sorry i missed the last couple months while I struggled with some of my own stuff. But this podcast was supposed to be a springboard for you into another part of your life, and OML! Look at how far you’ve come and where you are now. Who can be sad about that. If we have learned one important thing from you and the podcast it’s that we are ALL able to reach out to others and form communities such as this. So for sharing your life and teaching us how to be vulnerable and supportive, I thank and salute you! I will look forward to keeping in touch and seeing where your journey takes you next. You can be very proud of yourself and all you’ve done here because it’s been amazing. Big hugs and carry on! Love always, Cheryl
Yesssss. Agreed Cheryl what you so perfectly said
Big hugs, Dawny! <3
Thanks Cheryl, I’m not sad at all. It’s time to move ahead and I’m very grateful for what I’ve learned. I’m not leaving so much as changing like the cliché about the butterfly. I accomplished my mission and life looks different from here. I’m excited to discover some new Zen places along the next paths. xoxoxox
I’m happy that you feel you accomplished your goal, but I can’t say that I won’t miss your podcasts! I will look forward to keeping up with you in other ways, and reading about your next adventures!
Ahh Amy, thanks so much! I’m a bit in limbo right now writing the next episode and figuring out what I want to do for the last. And I wouldn’t say never to a bonus episode down the road if I felt the need to ponder out loud. (Of course by THEN I might just be back to talking with crickets, but such is life 😉 ) Thanks so much for your support and your thoughtful comments throughout the show. You often gave me great topics and I so appreciate it! Hugs Hugs Hugs! xoxoxox
ive been called worse things than a cricket.. HA.. I’ll always be awaiting a good listen laurie.. luv you gal, and whatever adventures you take on.. or not… I know will you bring you closer to a life of MUCH MUCH DESERVED happiness….
Staying STRONG & TRUE to YOU (& Mark I guess.. lol wink) is what you gottsta do…!!!!
I am so THANKFUL for you and all you’ve offered, delivered, learned and shared with me
Wow, Laurie!
I will definitely miss your podcasts. I’m sad for myself but happy for you! You always seem to know when to make a change, and when that feels right. I wish I had that ability. I tend to stay stuck.
I’m sorry I haven’t been participating for quite a while, and not commenting on the blogs. I was still lurking, but struggling with depression and fatigue.
You have been such a positive influence on my life since I found your podcast, and you are one of the most sincere and caring people I’ve ever met.
I hope to hear from you from time to time, and I wish you all the best with your voice acting and all your future brave forays into new challenges and experiences.
With much love and appreciation,
Suzanne
Oh Suz, thanks SO MUCH for sharing your thoughts here. Bravery report for SURE! I just finished show 119 and on the show notes page I have a photo of the prayer rocks I placed for you on the mountain. I’ll publish this show and page shortly. You are much loved and in my thoughts often. I know the black place you’ve been in. It feels as it you are alone. So bookmark this one, ‘Laurie cares about me, I am talented, worthy, a wonderful person and I deserve my place in the world’. xoxoxoxox
Oh Laurie sorry to see you go, but life is all about change and discovery. Sounds like it was a springboard for other things. I have certainly enjoyed your absolute honesty and identified with lots of what you say. In fact I discovered your podcasts at a time when I was struggling.I always say nothing is wasted so everything we do however good or bad is a learning experience. It’s a bit like letting go of the hand of the toddler learning to walk.
Go forth on your journey with courage and curiosity. You are the original brave companion and are definitely letting go.
Lots of love for the next chapter. Will be there in spirit.
Virtual hugs
Rachel
xxx
Take care because I really really really really really care.
Hi Rachel, great to see you pop over here across the pond 😉 ! I too am sorry to go, but as you said, I’m excited for the other possibilities this opens up. I so agree that nothing was wasted by these many months of figuring myself out publicly. I’m touched that my musings helped you too. I can’t lie, I WILL miss the comfort zone of the show, but that little bit scary, and little bit exciting feeling I have over what’s next tell me I’m on the right path. xoxoxoxoxox
Dear Laurie, I just want to check in and say THANK YOU for everything you have done. Your podcast came to me at a time when I truly needed it and following along with it has given me many insights as well as support and inspiration. I want you to know that I have listened to each and every episode (sometimes catching up after being away or taking a break) and though I might not have been the most active of BC:s, the podcast has meant a lot to me. I know you wished for more participation and communication and I am sorry that didn’t quite turn out how you wanted it to. For me, I have to say the most valuable parts of the show was (almost) always taking part of your personal reflections. To tell you the truth, the bonus episodes were my absolute favorites. This is not to say I have not valued the support of other BC:s which I have received in generous amounts at times when I have chosen to come forward and share. Thank you especially to Stephanie and to Amy from Wisconsin, I really cherished your words of support and still keep them with me.
Laurie: I salute you and your decision to stop recording the show, even though it makes me (and many others, I presume) sad on a personal level. I will miss your heartwarming and sincere message, miss the anticipation of having yet another unlistened episode to look forward to. I guess it is time not only for you Laurie but for all of us to move on, finding our way forward. Taking with us what we have learned and accomplished so far while resting assured that there is even greater progess and self-growth to be achieved ahead.
All my love and best wishes
Happy
Hi Happy, thanks for dropping by to say good-bye. It’s nice to hear the show helped you and I’m impressed you caught up to the end! It is hard to let the show go, but I’m positive it is the right path for me. And one thing I’ve learned before, it’s to follow your heart about what’s right for you. Thanks again, BIG HUGS and SMOOCHES xoxoxoxoxoxo