So, How Are Those New Year's Resolutions Coming Along?

I got a call from myself a little while ago offering me and interview with me. How could I pass up a sweet deal like that?

HRM: It's been awhile...

Helen: I know. Mom was still alive the last time we did an interview...

HRM: I remember. I haven't wanted to push, and waited until you came to me...

Helen: Thanks. I know our banter is meant to be friendly, but I wasn't sure I could take the ribbing for a while.

HRM: I'll try to be gentle. Notice I haven't said a thing about the ickiness of your breath from the leftover garlic chicken you had for lunch.

Helen. Yes. Thanks for that.

HRM: Our last interview was about New Year's Resolutions. How has that been going?

Helen: Well Gee, HRMie, thanks for throwing a softball at me... It's not like people lose track of their New Year's Resolutions by June or anything!

HRM: Did that happen? Did you push your New Years Resolutions aside?

Helen: Actually, no. I sort of readjusted them.

HRM: How so?

Helen: Well, take my promise to find something new to be grateful for every day.... I have given myself permission to take the word new out of that resolution.

HRM: Huh?

Helen: If I am grateful for sunshine three days in a row, that is not such a bad thing. I still try to think of something else, but if I am truly grateful for sunshine, why fight it?

HRM: Okay.... I'm sure that makes sense to you in your head. What about your New Year's Resolution to take care of yourself? How is that going?

Helen: It hit a rocky patch in February. I felt bad that I left Mom's bedside the day before she died to get rest because I was taking care of myself. But then, had I KNOWN she was going to die, I would have put her first. I really thought I was just pacing myself for when she came home..

HRM: Understandable, Helen. Understandable. I of all people know you are not omnipotent.

Helen: Still, I felt really bad about that for a while. Luckily Lent was a few weeks away, which meant giving up stuff out of love for God if not for myself. I gave up things that I felt I was at risk of leaning on instead of Him, like wine and donuts...

HRM: Friends?

Helen: Oh no! I leaned on friends plenty! They kept encouraging me with prayers and kind words. I considered them to be a gift from God, still do.

HRM: What did you do after Lent?

Helen: I started to compromise with me. I can only eat sweets or chips I make myself. It's not like I WANT to bake or slice potatoes all the time.... Maybe once every couple of weeks, and then ration the goodies carefully. If we are having company, I'll sometimes make an exception and buy a pie.

HRM: I suppose that provides for some balance...

Helen: Then I switched from white bread to whole grain wheat. I never ate wheat bread before. It is actually very tasty! Later I started to increase my water intake. In May I started exercising, but then fell off the wagon when I started my garden. Gardening leaves me sore! I hope it counts as exercise!

HRM: I'd say that anything that leaves you sore can count as exercise, but I know Wendy will TWSS that before I even hit publish! She can smell a TWSS from any computer she has ever corresponded with, I think!

Helen: LOL! I think you may be right!

HRM: So that's it?

Helen: Nah! When the weather gets warmer, I'll be setting aside at least two days a week to go to the local pool and exercise, even if I was gardening. I love the pool!

HRM: So you'll just do what you already started, but better...

Helen: Sure, why not? I also started eating more lettuce. Romaine, not iceberg. If my garden grows right, but August, I will be eating mostly homegrown vegetables! Another way I'll be taking better care of myself. I'm sort of just adding one thing a month and trying to make that a habit.

HRM: One thing a month? Will you ever actually meet your New Year's goal of taking care of yourself with only one positive change a month?

Helen: I'll make a lasting change, hopefully.

HRM: So you are going to swim in the winter!

Helen: Maybe. Maybe not. Maybe in November I'll switch my goal to using the stationary bike collecting dust in my basement. One thing at a time.

HRM: You won't be done by December!

Helen: Getting done isn't the point. There is no goal to reach here. My resolution was about a lifestyle change. There is no reason it can't continue into next year and the next. There is no reason that if around Christmas I goof and eat store bought Christmas cookies, I can't change again back to only home made goodies and get back in that habit again in January.

HRM: So you are planning to fall off the wagon!

Helen: No... I'm just saying that my resolution is working better for me as a slow process than as a list to follow immediately.

HRM: Sounds weak to me..

Helen: I thought you were going to be gentle!

HRM: That was before I knew that you were going to be a candy@$$ wuss!

Helen: This interview is over!

HRM: WAIT! Don't you want to say something to your friends out there?

Helen: Yes. Thank you, friends for all your prayers, care, and support. Your love has been a balm to my wounded heart.

HRM: You are welcome, Helen!

Helen: HEY! I wasn't talking to you HRMie! You just called me a candy@$$ wuss!

HRM: I was only teasing. You enjoyed it! Admit it!

Helen: Okay... perhaps I did....

HRM: Thank you for joining us. Don't wait so long next time...

Helen: Okay. We'll do this again when I come back from the Pirate Festival on Monday...

HRM: Pirate Festival!!

Helen: Yes. Didn't I mention that Bob and I will be getting away to Wisconsin for a bit on Saturday and Sunday? A little vacation time away..

HRM: Now THAT'S what I call taking care of yourself! Good job, candy@$$...er, I mean Helen.

Helen: Thanks...

Lucky Me! I Scored Another Inteview With Myself!

I do believe that yesterday I promised you that I would interview myself about my birthday. I said that before checking with myself, but luckily I was in a good mood from all the attention I got yesterday, and was quite agreeable.

HRM: So tell us, how did you spend your Birthday?
Helen: Well, the first thing I did was oversleep....No wait, I went to bed at 1:00 a.m. So I guess the first thing I did on my birthday was exchange tweets with Wendy. Then I went to my mom's room to give her an opportunity to wish me a Happy Birthday. Don't worry, she wasn't asleep. Then I went to bed and overslept.
HRM: Is that how this interview is going to go? Minute by minute details ....
Helen: Hey, it could have been worse. I could have mentioned what Wendy and I were tweeting...
HRM: I have seen your tweets with her. You are correct. That would have been much worse! So, what did you do when you woke up?
Helen: Well, I spent time with my mom and my Uncle John. Uncle John was kind enough to spend my birthday with me. I love Uncle John. He's been my favorite Uncle since even before when I had other uncles...He's the best!
HRM: Do anything special with them during the day?
Helen: Just hung out. That was enough. The day before, my husband's uncle and cousin came over with flowers for me, and my dear friend from college called me in the evening. I guess you could say the excitement has been spread out...
HRM: Did you get lots of Birthday wishes?
Helen: Are you kidding? My friends in the blogosphere went all out. Peter gave bonus entries to a contest to people who'd wish me Happy Birthday, Annie found a polka of 80's songs for me, Candy found a video of supermarket salsa dancers for me, Wendy wrote a Happy Birthday post for me, Sherri started a fan club for me, Katdish posted about my birthday yesterday AND today, thus extending the excitement even longer, Becca at Homefront posted a Happy Birthday post and answered my meme, Beth wrote a poem for me, people came from their blogs to wish me a Happy Birthday on my blog, tweeted Happy Birthday, and I got cards from my family. People were so kind and made me feel so good and happy!
HRM: You are blessed to have found such a great group of people on line.
Helen: In the words of the woman who should be our Vice President but isn't, You betcha!
HRM: No politics today. We'll make arrangements to discuss that at another time if you like.
Helen: Sorry. I got carried away. The media twisted everything she said, you know. It's no wonder she wouldn't do interviews...
HRM: Another time. Relax. You know I don't twist your words. Snort. Sorry.
Helen: It's all right. We do have fun together. Don't we?
HRM: You may be odd, but at least I have eachother!
Helen: I can say that again!
HRM: Too funny! Anyway, back to your birthday. What did Bob get you?
Helen: Oh, he was very busy. He bought and ice cream cake...
HRM: Did he light it on fire?
Helen: Are you kidding? Forty candles on an ice cream cake!
HRM: Good point....
Helen: He bought me a balloon, a card, and brought home Brown's chicken with all of my favorite sides.
HRM: Well, it sounds like he was busy.
Helen: I'm still waiting for my grandma's ring to come back, and then
HRM: What?
Helen: My grandmother's ring. My mom tried to give me my grandma's ring after she died, but I thought mom should have it. I put in a cherished place, and tried for years to get mom to have it sized to her finger. A couple of years ago, I decided to accept it graciously, but wait for my fortieth birthday to have it resized and wear it.
HRM: Why fortieth?
Helen: Because it comes before fiftieth and sixtieth.
HRM: Wise girl!
Helen: No, really. At thirty nine, I was depressed that the next year would be fortieth. I had been dreading fortieth for a long time because that number seemed like the nail in the coffin of my infertility.
HRM: Go on...
Helen: My grandma was in her late sixties when I was born, yet I remember her as more fully alive when I was a child than anyone else I knew. She was so cheerful, she seemed younger than my parents in some ways. She didn't look younger, but she could listen to music or watch t.v. with me without critiquing my taste. She was a positive person and could just be there for me. She was vibrant. She had ups and downs in her life (you should right about that some time HRM), but she was vibrant. What is there to stop me from following her good example? I'm going to look at her ring, and allow myself to be inspired by her vibrancy!
HRM: Can we see the ring?
Helen: It's still at the jewelry shop, but when it is ready, I will snap a picture and post it.
HRM: Anything else to add?
Helen: Well, I had a meeting to go to for CCD teachers. They sang Happy Birthday to me.
HRM: That was nice.
Helen: Yes, it was.
HRM: So, when shall we plan our next interview.
Helen: Planning is over rated! Let's just play it by ear!
HRM: Okay dokey! What's next on your agenda today?
Helen: Tweeting this post!
HRM: It figures....

Dancing With the Kumquats...

Today, by popular request (and by that we mean that Katdish is popular), HRM will conduct an interview with Helen (herself). For those of you new to Random Musings, HRM stands for Helen's blog persona, Helen at Random Musings. Helen is her actual everyday self. These interviews are getting harder as they become one in the same. Our regulars may recognize some new personalities in this interview. In actuality, they are new to the interviewing process, but not actually new to this blog.

You may be surprised to learn that today's interview did not come as easily as the others. You have no idea about the lengths HRM had to go through to get Helen to agree to sit down with with herself, and do this interview. Do you have any idea how flexible one has to be to kiss their own butt? And HRM isn't all that flexible. Neither am I. Neither is Helen. Wait a moment. Which one am I? Both of them? Oh dear.....I suppose we ought to get started.

HRM: Thank you for FINALLY agreeing to sit down with me for this interview.
Helen: Your welcome.
HRM: Don't you recognize sarcasm when you hear it?
Helen: Give me a break. You know how tired I get when I fully give in to my insanity. It's a bit taxing.
HRM: Well it's not like it is any easier on me you know!
Helen: True, true. So, tell me HRM, what would you like to interview me about. I might have been a bit more cooperative if you had clued me in as to what you intended on interviewing me about.
HRM: Well, I was thinking that since we have to tap into the insane portion of your brain to do an interview anyways, we could talk about this whole salsa dancing in the supermarket thing you go on about.
Helen: Oh. Okay. What do you want to know about it?
HRM: First of all, how did it start?
Helen: I am not sure I know how to answer that question.
HRM: (mumbles) and the insanity begins....
Helen: Excuse me. I didn't quite catch what you said.
HRM: Nothing, nothing. Why don't you start by telling us when you became aware of your...liking for Dancing With The Seasonal Fruit....
Helen: When I realized that my salsa was too hot for frozen foods!
HRM: HAH! You're a riot.
Helen: You started it with the seasonal fruit comment.
HRM: And your spoiled. Out of all our personalities, mom always liked you best!
Helen: Dare I say why....?
SSH ( Supermarket Salsa Helen): Ladies, please. The salsa is a dance of love, not war. Make peace with each other mi hermanas queridas...
HRM: Well, it's Supermarket Salsa Helen. Maybe it is you I should be interviewing...
SSH: Please. You know as well as I that it all started with Helen. I would like to sit in on this interview if I may. I wouldn't mind adding a bit of information if Helen is reluctant to cooperate.
Helen: Oh great! Now you two are ganging up on me!
SSH: Not exactly, mi hermana. I know that sometimes you get a little bit tripped up about fully displaying your insanity. I'm only here to help, Querida. Besides. HRM is right about mom liking you best.
HRM: So, where were we?
SSH: You were asking your guest about how she got started dancing in supermarkets.
HRM: Yes, thank you SSH. Tell us Helen, how did you get started?
Helen: Well, it started just with me noticing that I was singing along to the songs on the p.a. system.
HRM: How long had you been doing that before you noticed?
Helen: I don't know.
HRM: Okay then. I'll rephrase the question. How did you first notice?
Helen: I had given up contemporary secular music for Lent. I didn't listen at home or in the car. Then I found in the Supermarket that I was not only listening to the music, but singing along.
HRM: So what did you do?
Helen: I tried to control myself in the grocery store until Lent was over.
HRM: And then...
Helen: I cut loose. I remembered how I used to yank my friends' chains and tell them life should be like a musical, and then start singing at the bus stop, or downtown. This was in college. They were true friends. They hung out with me anyways. Though they did not sing along.
HRM: What did they do?
Helen: They gave me that look like they really wanted to laugh, but they were afraid to encourage me.
HRM: Figures. If I could, I'd give you that look sometimes myself.
SSH: But you had not started the dancing yet, mija.
HRM: Whose conducting this interview?
SSH: (Sigh) You are, HRM. But I did think you wanted my help.
HRM: Thank you, I do. I'm sorry for snapping at you. I just think I pulled a back muscle when Helen made me kiss our
SSH: I accept your apology. No more is needed...
HRM: So Helen, SSH says you weren't dancing yet. How did that start.
Helen: Well, honestly it started gradually. I wasn't really belting out the songs yet, but I wasn't shy and trying not to sing either. One day, a song I really liked started playing, and I started to move to the music a little, hardly noticing it.
SSH: Tell her the rest, Querida. It is okay. I was there. I'll back you up.
HRM: Well it's not like I was home watching t.v. at the time...
SSH: Ssssh, HRM. Helen needs a little cajoling to get this out. Please allow me...
(HRM nods at SSH)
SSH: Helen, it's okay. You could have done worse. Far worse.....
Helen: Well, there was this lady who was staring at me as if I was crazy. I thought about yelling "WHAT'S THE MATTER WITH YOU! HAVEN'T YOU MET ANYONE WHO WAS CHEERFUL BEFORE? GEE, I WONDER WHY NOT? SOURPUSSS!".
SSH: But you didn't, did you.
H.H. (Hungarian Helen): And she darn well should have. Have a little backbone, why don't you?
SSH: What are you doing here, Hungarian Helen?
H.H. I am trying to keep us from looking like candy @$$e$!
SSH: HH, our behind may be fluffy as cotton candy, but we are no candy....tushes.
H.H. We know that, but do THEY out there know that?
SSH. "THEY out there" are our friends. They know us well enough. And as our friends, they won't judge us.
H.H. Still, we sound like we nutty enough to make a torte AND a strudel.
SSH: Don't be silly. We don't bake.
(H.H. rolls eyes)
SSH: Tell us all what you did do, mi hermana Querida Helen.
Helen: I looked the woman straight in the eye, and then I belted out the song, and danced full out. Not well, because I am not a great dancer. But not like I was ashamed of what I was doing either. I smile and am friendly in the grocery store, even to strangers. So, while I may not intentionally start my song and dance, when I find that I am dancing or singing, I go full out. I refuse to act like I am ashamed of being cheerful. What do I have to be ashamed of there?
HRM: Your singing and dancing ability?
SSH: Basta, HRM! Enough. I can see why she was reluctant to return...
HRM: Oh yeah?
SSH: Si!
H.H. Look, as much of a blast as this has been, don't you think we should stop arguing and go to bed.
HRM: Good idea.
Helen: I am so glad Bob and I bought a King Sized bed this year.
SSH: Porque, querida?
Helen: So we can all fit...
HRM: Say goodnight, Helen.
Helen: Oh. Okay. Goodnight, Helen....

My friend Katdish was kind enough to invite me to guest post on her blog today. If you have not already checked out her blog, how about doing so now? There you will find today, the saner side of me...