Strategy

Strat • e • gy:
A plan, method, or series of maneuvers or stratagems for obtaining a specific goal or result.

Synonyms: action, angle, approach, design, game plan, method, plan, procedure, system

I forgot to do a quote yesterday, and while the dictionary.com definition of the word 'strategy' doesn't really qualify as a quote, it does offer something about which to think.

Doncha just love it when someone writes in a grammatically correct fashion? Soooo awkward to read!

At any rate, the holiday countdown has begun. All you had to do to know that was to go looking for black wash-out hair coloring on Halloween and find aisle after aisle of glittery, sparkly, red-green-and-gold Christmas crap.

I'm glad I don't work in a Real Job in a Real Office for a Real Company. Jonathan reports that his office recently staged a 'welcome to the holidays' party, which he chose not to attend. Applause, applause! Avoidance can certainly be part of an effective strategy for maintaining a weight loss, which is Jonathan's goal for the holidays.

I went to the grocery yesterday, and picked up a magazine full of handmade gift ideas. I didn't really look through it at the store, but was kind of disappointed when I got home and leafed through it to find page after page of food gifts. Yes, food can be a gift, and I've certainly done my share of cookie-baking in my checkered past, but I'd hoped for something different. Other ideas are presented, though, and while I might not use any of them, part of my personal strategy is to stay busy with non-food activities for the next couple of months.

I mentioned dancing yesterday; I'll continue to row and lift weights. But the fact that I don't have a Real Job leaves me with plenty of time on my hands, and I need to keep those hands busy and productive. Knitting? Check. Scrapbooking? Check. Handmade cards? Check. All the supplies for those projects are, ahem, at my fingertips. While I was at my daughter's my granddaughter taught me the basics of making beaded jewelry. A trip to the craft store and a credit card swipe later and I can add jewelry-making to my list of crafty hobbies.

I haven't worn jewelry much, mostly because I don't care to call attention to myself. But lately I've pulled out a few pieces and have discovered that I really like wearing bracelets. So that's where I'll start. To all my friends and family, I promise no beaded jewelry gifts!

Also, and apropos of nothing I've written about today, my son tells me he's lost 17 pounds since Labor Day. Good for him! And he wanted me to tell you what his best snack strategy is. Each evening he eats a bag of frozen peaches. It … ahem … weighs in at 150 calories and takes 40 minutes to eat, according to his research, and he finds it a most satisfying way to end each day.

Sounds like a good strategy to me.