I DON'T TAKE A GOOD PICTURE

You hear people say this all the time: "I don't take a good picture".

I always think, "No, they just don't WANT to look like the picture they see!" (Gerald's favorite picture of me--1971)



(At work 1981) Since 1995, I have been Cleopatra ("The Queen Of Denial"); I haven't wanted to have my picture taken because I already know how bad I look and I haven't wanted to confront the problem! Seeing the picture of myself at the Governor's Mansion made me realize that I have people in my life who have never seen what I consider to be the REAL me! After I had my life-altering accident, I gained the weight and have never lost it. I was going through pictures to find my picture taken with Yvette McGhee Brown in the 1980s and when I saw the pictures from my Rockwell days I slammed the album shut!

When I went to the doctor about the vomiting, he told me I had a "stomach virus" and that I should "lay off" the Coca Cola. I actually responded, "But it's been my best friend!" I also told him that I thought that since I gave up caffeine that I should never have to do anything else difficult in my life! He and I laughed together but he told me that when I was "well" WE needed to discuss THE real problem!

Last week, on Oprah, there was an expert who has written the book "Women, God and Food"; Oprah proclaimed this would be a life-altering program. I was planning to buy the book and I listened attentively but I still can't think of any trauma in my life which causes me to eat too much! Oprah had asked, "If any of these diets worked, don't you think I would have been successful?" OK, Oprah knows what trauma causes her to react to food the way she does, but I don't. But I do know that the ONLY thing that works is less calories and more movement.

I knew that I could NOT start a "diet" before my BIRTHDAY WEEK dinners and the FAIR!

During Gerald's birthday week, we serve his five favorite meals and we eat out the other two days. He deserves that week of "sinful" foods because he is so GOOD the rest of the year. I am so tired of boneless, skinless, chicken breasts although I have found creative dishes to disguise them, but I eat out at lunch often with friends. Gerald doesn't SIN although he does eat TOO much of the low-fat, low-sugar meals.

I knew that I could not start a "diet" before my BIRTHDAY WEEK and the FAIR! My birthday week dinners include:

1. FAIR FOOD: Italian sausage, those swirly potato things, fish from St. Colman's booth, Lemon Shakeups with EXTRA sugar.

2. Thanksgiving Dinner with turkey, stuffing, noodles, sweet potatoes, corn casserole and pumpkin pie. (WHY just have Thanksgiving once a year?)

3. My ALL-TIME favorite meal: homemade vegetable soup with bread for dipping; a cheese tray with my favorite cheeses and my favorite cake: Italian cream pound cake with fresh strawberries on top.

4. Pork chops, mashed potatoes, brown gravy made from the drippings, corn on the cob, tomatoes and cucumbers sliced together and I'll probably have leftover pound cake--if not--cheesecake! (I have pork chops ONCE a year!)

5. "Banquet In A Basket"--my mother always made these--also called "Hobo dinners": put 2 pieces of aluminum foil together, add sliced potatoes, onions, green beans, corn, peas and a pork chop slathered in BBQ sauce and bake! (Depending whether we have leftover cake from the previous day; if gone, I buy a cake from Community Market because Les and I LOVE them!)

6. Mexican: chimichangas, enchiladas, taquitos, salsa (if we have "real" tomatoes!); we LOVE Mexican!

7. Jean gave me a gift certificate to Olive Garden!

My brothers and friends decide WHICH meals they want to attend to celebrate with me! Good food, good times and the highest calorie-count of the entire year!

Our friends Bob and Connie treated us to a meal on Friday at Oscar's and on Thursday my Red Hat Ladies luncheon will be at Oscar's!

WHAT'S A GIRL TO DO? Diet to begin July 25. Wish me well.

Wedding picture 1971.