I’ll admit that I made scores of quilts before I was introduced
to the notion of rules about borders. When I added borders to
my early quilts, I viewed the borders like a frame around a
picture.

Sometimes I used fabric that was darker than the fabric I used
in the blocks in the center of the quilt. Other times, I
wanted to make the quilt larger, so I pieced borders that used
some of the fabric in the center of the quilt while introducing
new fabric in the borders.

And I just kept adding borders until the quilt was the size I
wanted it to be.

In a couple of my quilts, I added blocks or partial blocks
using the same design as in the center of the quilt, but using
different colors than those I used in the center blocks.

Maybe you can imagine my surprise when I learned that I had
broken many of the special Quilt Border Rules.

One rule that I have broken many times is that the border
should be a little wider than the blocks in the center of your
quilt. That would mean that if your blocks in the center were
12 inches square, your border should be at least 12 inches wide.

I can’t even begin to count the number of quilts where I broke
that rule. Maybe I should be embarrassed. Or not.

What The ???????

So—are you wondering what information on how to make a quilt is doing on a fitness blog? Or did you just get tired of reading that and skipped down to see is something sensible was available here today? TIRED!

That is the operative word here today. Tired is when you become worn out in regards to something. You were tired of reading that drivel in the first few paragraphs. You get tired of your spouse nagging you to mow the lawn(guys) or cook a meal (gals). Or, to get back on track, you get tired of your workout time…and the synonym here is “fatigue”. And fatigue is one of the most common symptoms of over training and definitely something to look at.

Low blood sugar is a major cause of fatigue in a physical condition. So if you are feeling tired (fatigued) and this is keeping you from a good consistent daily workout you need to investigate the cause. So if you feel absolutely worn out BEFORE your workout take a look at your diet. Are you ingesting the proper food to get (and keep) you going? If you have spent any time at all in a workout program you should have studied nutrition and prepared a diet complementary to your goals. So if you are physically worn out take a look at that grocery shopping list. Vegetables (green), fruits (ripe!) and plenty of protein bearing foods should get that glucose level back up and let you grab those weights for the necessary hour or so!

With all of the weight loss products on the internet you would think “skinny” would be simplicity in itself. Not so, huh? Sure there are some minerals or compounds in most of the “fat burning” pills that will curb your appetite to some degree but there is only one thing that will absolutely guarantee weight loss. Again—that is ABSOLUTELY guarantee weight loss. That one thing does not come with a $4.95 trial period and shipping of $45.98 per month for ever after. It also does not come from the shelf at the local supermarket or Wal Mart. There is only one place that you can get this “thing” that will cut the fat from you like the proverbial “water off the ducks back”!

While you can recognize the need for this “thing” each and every time you glance into a mirror that is now where you get it. Each time you walk by a bunch of people in the mall and feel them staring at your fat ass you realize you need this “thing”, or start staying home twenty-four hours per day. When you have enough of these experiences to set you seeking this “thing” it is imperative that you recognize the only source from which it flows.

FROM WITHIN YOURSELF! That “thing” is commitment. Break open the “Daniel Manual” (that is the dictionary for you young ones–i.e.: Daniel Webster?) and you will find a varied assortment of single line definitions of commitment. Unless you have some sort of mental disorder and feel that the “commitment” you need is to be committed to an asylum for treatment there is only one definition that really fits our needs.

COMMITMENT: the act of committing, pledging, or engaging oneself. Read that again. The operative word is “oneself”. This totally excludes all others from your ability to lose weight. No spouse, nor personal trainer will get that stuff off your waistline. No staring mall crowd will reduce your rear end so it actually fits inside of your pants! Read that definition again—most importantly: “engaging oneself”. Within yourself is the ONLY place on this earth that commitment of any personal nature is available to you!

Of course there is a problem here. “Commitment” to lose weight is not a part time thing. You cannot commit to lose weight on the first Thursday of every other month. Won’t work. SIMPLY WILL NOT WORK! When you commit to yourself to reduce your reflection in that bathroom mirror is will be, and MUST be, a full time project. Well, it might be ok if you dream about Big Macs when you sleep but all other acquaintances with that part of society must be cut off—that is CUT OFF!

Of course of necessity you will need to renew this commitment more than one time in your quest for “skinny”. Each time you drive by that ugly place with the plastic playgrounds where you can buy all the Big Macs you want you will need to reinforce yourself. When you get bored with the vegetable aisle in your supermarket and want to stroll casually past the deli you will need to reinforce your commitment. Taking a stroll with your sweetie through the mall and smell those fresh baked cinnamon rolls just rolled out of that convection oven reinforcement will be a necessity. See a trend here???? Lets lay it out.

You are fat—you know it. You are fat—everyone who know you knows it. You are fat—everyone you pass by on the street or in the stores knows it. And of all of those people on this green planet that know you are fat there is still only one who can make that go away. Read between the lines here—-YOU!. Yep—one last time—YOU ARE THE ONLY ONE WHO CAN MAKE YOURSELF LOSE WEIGHT AND GET YOUR LIFE BACK INTO CONTROL!

So, what are you waiting for?

Nonsense…nonsense…I think everybody from Einstein to the park bench vagrant has made comments regarding time and keeping track of it. Mine is going to be the same (but different)—When you are a kid doing a time out in the corner a minute seems like a full day>>>when you are OLD and relaxing in your recliner in front of the tv a full day seems like a minute (or SECOND!).

Well, not so much relaxing in front of tv–I do have SOME desire to get hold of my goals. The last two weeks have been slipping by without a handle of any sort on them. I spent most of one week on a federal court system jury. WORD TO THE WISE—IF YOUR UNCLE IS RUNNING DOPE DO NOT (READ “DO NOT”) TAKE A TRIP ACROSS STATE LINES WITH HIM—YOU WILL GO TO JAIL!. Then catching up the yard work and other “stuff” and the second week just melted.

I am still attempting to verify the millions (read thousands) or emails on my mailing list for accuracy and am dumbfounded at those that have become inactive. Oh well, marketing is FUN. So this has been me for the last few days—

But what the heck–finally got my lazy arse up and grabbing hold of the cannonball and now my arms, legs and belly BURN–that is BURN BABY BURN type of burn. Knowing that I Will feel better about it this evening got me through that workout.

So a word to the wise–if you still have goals and want to GET THERE! you need to take time every day to workout and watch out for what you eat. And in your spare time—take a look at this for relaxation…

Yea I know…not actually Monday is it? Not quite sure if I am in favor of long weekends—especially since my wife had Friday off as well as Monday so was very easy to think about something other than picking that darned cannonball off the floor.

And as usual this morning there was physical payment to be made! Only way to get motivated was thinking about those pounds that will go away when I slap them silly. So challenged myself and actually got a workout that lasted a bit under 45 minutes and felt as I accomplished something!

So I guess that is the thought of the day===at all times you must challenge yourself to make headway at anything. Doesn’t matter if you are working out with a gym full of muscle beach types or lifting a dumbbell in your living room. If you don’t have the emotional and mental gumption to get something done you won’t!

Last thought===vegetables are good for you. Or are they?????…..

For those of you on a long Labor Day Weekend and don’t have the desire or gas money to go someplace……

HERE: