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classimageElement>								h3>/h3>								p>/p>								a href# titleThis is featured post 5 classopen>/a> 								img srchttp://willingnesstogrow.com/wp-content/themes/WP-FreshLook/jdgallery/slides/5.jpg classfull alt /> 								img srchttp://willingnesstogrow.com/wp-content/themes/WP-FreshLook/jdgallery/slides/5.jpg classthumbnail alt /> 							/div>									/div>		/div>	/div>/div>                     																		div classpost-4900 post type-post status-publish format-standard hentry category-personal idpost-4900>                            							h2 classtitle>a hrefhttp://willingnesstogrow.com/my-least-favorite-topic/ relbookmark titlePermanent Link to My Least Favorite Topic>My Least Favorite Topic/a>/h2>							div classpostdate>img srchttp://willingnesstogrow.com/wp-content/themes/WP-FreshLook/images/date.png /> July 26th, 2016 img srchttp://willingnesstogrow.com/wp-content/themes/WP-FreshLook/images/user.png /> LeeAnn /div>							div classentry>								p>My least favorite topic is em>politics/em>./p>p>Politics have been prevalent in my life. I grew up in a politically active family./p>p>I have always been proud of what my family accomplished and the manner in which they did so – and I always will be./p>p>You must have very thick skin though./p>p>I don’t think that I ever developed it. I can still remember feeling hurt when a friend told me at the tender age of five that his parents would never have voted for my loved one./p>p>Perhaps that is what shaped me./p>p>I am fascinated by politics. I enjoy learning about opinions that are different from mine. I enjoy studying politics and watching political events./p>p>What I don’t enjoy is discussing politics in social settings. In my experience, tempers flare and passions are ignited./p>p>I feel strongly about my beliefs. I am interested to hear yours, if you can share them in a calm and nonjudgmental manner. I promise that I can./p>p>When I ask you a question about your beliefs, I genuinely want to learn why you feel that way. Don’t ask me about mine just to bait me and then argue./p>p>If you aren’t open to learning, why bother discussing?/p>p>So, if you try to engage me on this topic, please understand why I do not participate. When I withdraw from you or leave the room during a heated discussion, please do not be offended or think that I am acquiescing or being weak. I have experienced the anger and hurt that comes from those conversations, and I choose to not participate./p>p>While politics are important to me, friends, family and relationships are on a much higher plane, as I met friends in the school, work or even online at a hrefhttps://chatempanada.com>chatempanada.com/a>. I do not invite people into my life based on their political beliefs./p>p>The lack of civility is what really bothers me./p>p>When did we lose the ability to respect each other’s opinions, em>especially/em> when they are different from our own?/p>p>When did we lose sight of the beneficial aspects of having a country of em>differences/em>?/p>p>When did we all get so much confidence in our own opinions that we know that we are em>right/em>?/p>p>When did it become all about em>winning/em>?/p>div>/div>div>p>I am currently reading em>Profiles in Courage/em>, the Pulitzer Prize winning book by John F. Kennedy./p>div>/div>div>p>JFK provides three quotations addressing the general public’s view of Congress:/p>div>/div>div>p>“… What you hear in Congress is 99% tripe, ignorance and demagoguery and not to be relied upon ….”/p>div>/div>p>“While I am reluctant to believe in the total depravity of the Senate, I place but little dependence on the honesty and truthfulness of a large portion of the Senators.”/p>p>“… The confidence of the people is departing from us, owing to our unreasonable delays.”/p>p>The quotations were attributed to the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries./p>p>As I was reading these, a sense of relief flooded over me./p>p>Lately I question if there are any politicians who try to do the right thing. I know that the one with whom I used to nap did./p>p>It relieved me that there were the same concerns about politicians two hundred years ago and the system continued to function./p>p>JFK proceeds to illustrate, and conclude, that this does em>not/em> mean that there are no men (and women) of courage in Congress./p>p>While at times the situation seems bleak, compromise no longer exists, once open minds seem to be closed, friends become enemies, families fight … I refuse to give up hope./p>p>I em>know/em> that there are courageous, ethical and kind people. I choose to em>believe/em> that there are courageous, ethical and kind people in politics./p>p>It helps to be reminded./p>/div>/div>/div>								div classreadmorecontent>									a classreadmore hrefhttp://willingnesstogrow.com/my-least-favorite-topic/ relbookmark titlePermanent Link to My Least Favorite Topic>Read More »/a>								/div>							/div>													/div>!--/post-4900-->														div classpost-5474 post type-post status-publish format-standard hentry category-fitness category-personal idpost-5474>                            							h2 classtitle>a hrefhttp://willingnesstogrow.com/nearly-crushed-by-orange-theory/ relbookmark titlePermanent Link to Nearly Crushed by Orange Theory>Nearly Crushed by Orange Theory/a>/h2>							div classpostdate>img srchttp://willingnesstogrow.com/wp-content/themes/WP-FreshLook/images/date.png /> July 19th, 2016 img srchttp://willingnesstogrow.com/wp-content/themes/WP-FreshLook/images/user.png /> LeeAnn /div>							div classentry>								p>Have you heard of Orange Theory? It is the new fitness rage./p>p>My sister-in-law and niece are big advocates./p>p>The family met in Philadelphia for the start of the 4th of July weekend to celebrate my nephew’s birthday. As the trip approached, my niece Sam texted me that she signed us up for the Saturday morning Orange Theory class./p>p>I run and practice yoga regularly. I was not worried em>at all/em>./p>p>We were staying near my nephew’s house on the Penn campus four miles from the Orange Theory gym. I convinced Sam to walk to and from the class on Saturday morning./p>p>That was Mistake Number One./p>p>We arrived and my legs were tired. I was feeling the beer that I had consumed the night before with my brother and nephew (Mistake Number Two)./p>p>The staff handed me a heart monitor to wear, and warned me to make it tight. Mistake Number Three was cinching it so that it restricted my breathing./p>p>I was nervous. Perhaps I am old-fashioned, but in my experience heart rates are monitored to keep you from em>dying/em>./p>p>The room had rows of treadmills, rowing machines and floor equipment./p>p>a hrefhttp://willingnesstogrow.com/nearly-crushed-by-orange-theory/screen-shot-2016-07-17-at-12-29-56-pm/ relattachment wp-att-5484>img classaligncenter size-medium wp-image-5484 srchttp://willingnesstogrow.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Screen-Shot-2016-07-17-at-12.29.56-PM-300x166.png altScreen Shot 2016-07-17 at 12.29.56 PM width300 height166 srcsethttp://willingnesstogrow.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Screen-Shot-2016-07-17-at-12.29.56-PM-300x166.png 300w, http://willingnesstogrow.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Screen-Shot-2016-07-17-at-12.29.56-PM-768x424.png 768w, http://willingnesstogrow.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Screen-Shot-2016-07-17-at-12.29.56-PM-1024x565.png 1024w, http://willingnesstogrow.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Screen-Shot-2016-07-17-at-12.29.56-PM.png 1236w sizes(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px />/a>/p>p>The coach explained that we would be doing eleven minutes on the treadmill, eleven minutes on rowing/floor, eleven minutes back on the treadmill, and then the final eleven on the rowing/floor./p>p>Sam and I picked our treadmills and started. It immediately felt like I was climbing a mountain. I think the whole building may have been tilted./p>p>And then the coach told us to increase the incline./p>p>I started to not like him./p>p>He instructed us to jog for a minute, and then increase it to a run pace for three minutes./p>p>During the run, I was struggling./p>p>I can do anything for three minutes, so I focused on the time./p>p>Three minutes approached and I thought that maybe I won’t throw up or die. I desperately tried not to think of the heart monitor becoming embedded in my ribs./p>p>Three minutes and nothing from the coach.  He was focused on the floor group./p>p>At three and a half minutes I started thinking not nice things about the coach./p>p>Four minutes and I got annoyed at the floor group./p>p>During this del>torture/del> time, your heart rate is shown on a large tv screen, along with everyone else in the class. You are encouraged to monitor it, and the goal is to spend between 12 and 20 minutes with your heart rate in the “orange zone,” the second most intense of the five designated heart rate zones ranging from gray to red. This creates an effect called the Excess Post-Exercise Oxygen Consumption (EPOC), also called afterburn./p>p>a hrefhttp://willingnesstogrow.com/nearly-crushed-by-orange-theory/screen-shot-2016-07-17-at-12-40-06-pm/ relattachment wp-att-5487>img classaligncenter size-medium wp-image-5487 srchttp://willingnesstogrow.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Screen-Shot-2016-07-17-at-12.40.06-PM-300x183.png altScreen Shot 2016-07-17 at 12.40.06 PM width300 height183 srcsethttp://willingnesstogrow.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Screen-Shot-2016-07-17-at-12.40.06-PM-300x183.png 300w, http://willingnesstogrow.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Screen-Shot-2016-07-17-at-12.40.06-PM-768x469.png 768w, http://willingnesstogrow.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Screen-Shot-2016-07-17-at-12.40.06-PM-1024x625.png 1024w, http://willingnesstogrow.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Screen-Shot-2016-07-17-at-12.40.06-PM.png 1202w sizes(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px />/a>/p>p>This makes sense conceptually. Practically, it meant that I had to LOOK AT the tv screen. I was doing all I could to keep the inclined treadmill (and building) from jettisoning me off. At the very least, the motion would have made me dizzy. At the worst, I would have flattened the coach who was right behind me./p>p>That thought became more and more appealing to me./p>p>At five minutes, the coach came back to us and said “doing great, only one more minute!”/p>p>I then knew I was not alone./p>p>The words that came from my sweet niece and the lady on the other side of me were impressive./p>p>I survived the entire class with Sam by my side./p>p>The coach escaped injury./p>p>The heart rate monitor did not have to be surgically removed, although I did walk away wearing it and would probably still have it on now if not for Sam./p>p>After class, I was emailed my performance statistics. This is what your results should look like:/p>p>a hrefhttp://willingnesstogrow.com/nearly-crushed-by-orange-theory/screen-shot-2016-07-17-at-11-56-34-am/ relattachment wp-att-5479>img classaligncenter size-medium wp-image-5479 srchttp://willingnesstogrow.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Screen-Shot-2016-07-17-at-11.56.34-AM-300x148.png altScreen Shot 2016-07-17 at 11.56.34 AM width300 height148 srcsethttp://willingnesstogrow.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Screen-Shot-2016-07-17-at-11.56.34-AM-300x148.png 300w, http://willingnesstogrow.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Screen-Shot-2016-07-17-at-11.56.34-AM-768x380.png 768w, http://willingnesstogrow.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Screen-Shot-2016-07-17-at-11.56.34-AM-1024x506.png 1024w, http://willingnesstogrow.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Screen-Shot-2016-07-17-at-11.56.34-AM.png 1392w sizes(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px />/a>/p>p>And this is what mine were:/p>p>a hrefhttp://willingnesstogrow.com/nearly-crushed-by-orange-theory/screen-shot-2016-07-17-at-12-38-26-pm/ relattachment wp-att-5486>img classaligncenter size-medium wp-image-5486 srchttp://willingnesstogrow.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Screen-Shot-2016-07-17-at-12.38.26-PM-300x197.png altScreen Shot 2016-07-17 at 12.38.26 PM width300 height197 srcsethttp://willingnesstogrow.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Screen-Shot-2016-07-17-at-12.38.26-PM-300x197.png 300w, http://willingnesstogrow.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Screen-Shot-2016-07-17-at-12.38.26-PM-768x505.png 768w, http://willingnesstogrow.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Screen-Shot-2016-07-17-at-12.38.26-PM-1024x673.png 1024w sizes(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px />/a>/p>p>Given that I spent so much time in the “red”, the heart rate monitor was probably a good idea./p>								div classreadmorecontent>									a classreadmore hrefhttp://willingnesstogrow.com/nearly-crushed-by-orange-theory/ relbookmark titlePermanent Link to Nearly Crushed by Orange Theory>Read More »/a>								/div>							/div>													/div>!--/post-5474-->														div classpost-5444 post type-post status-publish format-standard hentry category-personal idpost-5444>                            							h2 classtitle>a hrefhttp://willingnesstogrow.com/the-journey-continues/ relbookmark titlePermanent Link to The Journey Continues>The Journey Continues/a>/h2>							div classpostdate>img srchttp://willingnesstogrow.com/wp-content/themes/WP-FreshLook/images/date.png /> July 14th, 2016 img srchttp://willingnesstogrow.com/wp-content/themes/WP-FreshLook/images/user.png /> LeeAnn /div>							div classentry>								p>Five years ago, I started this blog when I was struggling. I felt that I had veered off course./p>p>Happiness had become elusive; my profession was draining me; my marriage was difficult. I was not living the life I had envisioned./p>p>Writing became an outlet for me during that time; it was both an emotional release and also a way in which to organize and analyze my feelings./p>p>Much has changed./p>p>I left my profession of twenty-one plus years – the one that I had declared mine at the age of eight. I started a business, divorced, moved, lost my soul mate, got tattooed, sold a business … and more./p>p>Being very goal oriented, I began the journey by identifying a business to build. And I kept that goal in my vision always. I anticipated that when I achieved it, I would feel fulfilled and at peace. I would be living “a life more authentic to my true self.”/p>p>For a year while the initial stages of the business were in progress and my divorce was being finalized, I found myself alone … uncertain … anxious … insecure.  Places that I had not been before. The circumstances, and my tendency to be overly analytical, led me to a period of intense self inquiry and examination. It is advised that you do a little research about the a hrefhttps://lawyer-il.com/family-law-practice-areas/tax-implications/>tax implications in divorce/a> and seek legal advice to protect your interests. If you have kids, you should hire an expert in a hrefhttps://kellerlegalservices.com/blog/2023/11/21/what-rights-do-unmarried-fathers-have-in-illinois/>custody laws in Illinois for unmarried parents/a>. You may also consult a hrefhttps://www.divorcelawyerschicago.org/>Michael Craven Attorney/a> for expert legal assistance. And when facing criminal charges, it’s imperative to choose a lawyer who understands the local legal landscape. The right attorney can provide the necessary expertise and support to guide you through the legal process. Having a seasoned professional by your side can significantly impact the outcome of your case. Check out a hrefhttps://www.newjerseycriminallawattorney.com/>this web site/a> to find out how an experienced lawyer can help. In many legal cases, polygraph tests are employed to discern the truth. These are often conducted when a partner in a relationship suspects infidelity. While controversial and not foolproof, these tests can sometimes provide clarity in complex emotional situations. Contact a hrefhttps://liedetector.co.uk/Manchester>lie detector manchester/a> for professional services./p>p>And if your attorney did not treat you and your case with a professional level of attention or committed a significant error in representation, you may be upset and discouraged, thinking that you will not be able to hold them responsible. A lawyer who specializes in legal malpractice cases will be familiar with the ways another lawyer will try to avoid responsibility. Make sure to contact these a hrefhttps://ravidandassociates.com/practice-areas/legal-malpractice/>lawyers who sue lawyers/a>./p>p>I increased my yoga practice into a daily one. Through that discipline, I became more conscious of my physical being; that self-awareness then extended to my emotional state. It became evident that I could choose how my sixty minutes on the mat were going to be that day; from there, the choice extended to my day, my week … and my life./p>p>With that came the understanding that my past had been within my control as well. I sought to understand why I made the choices I had made and to understand my part in the failures. My goal was not only to avoid the same mistakes again, but also to cultivate forgiveness and compassion in my heart./p>p>With the solitude came a panic and a sadness and, honestly, some not great decisions. I worked to become at peace with being alone. I grew by em>being/em> with myself./p>p>I started to peel away the protective layers. I made the choice to lead with my heart, knowing that it will come with hurt … and it has. It has also resulted in overwhelming love and support flowing back to me./p>p>The business opened and it became a thriving part of the community./p>p>And yet I yearned to move on./p>p>I am back to a period of transition. But this time it feels different./p>p>This transition I go into at peace./p>p>I now know that life – truly experiencing life – is not about reaching for that final goal or summit and achieving it. It is about how you live this minute … and the next one … and then the next one./p>p>Success for me is not defined by careers or money./p>p>Will I set long-term goals again? Without a doubt./p>p>But I won’t expect the achievement of that goal to bring inner peace and happiness./p>p>It is my responsibility to cultivate that inner peace and happiness every day./p>p>And so my journey continues./p>								div classreadmorecontent>									a classreadmore hrefhttp://willingnesstogrow.com/the-journey-continues/ relbookmark titlePermanent Link to The Journey Continues>Read More »/a>								/div>							/div>													/div>!--/post-5444-->														div classpost-5426 post type-post status-publish format-standard hentry category-animals category-family category-personal idpost-5426>                            							h2 classtitle>a hrefhttp://willingnesstogrow.com/someone-is-in-your-house/ relbookmark titlePermanent Link to Someone is in your House!>Someone is in your House!/a>/h2>							div classpostdate>img srchttp://willingnesstogrow.com/wp-content/themes/WP-FreshLook/images/date.png /> October 15th, 2015 img srchttp://willingnesstogrow.com/wp-content/themes/WP-FreshLook/images/user.png /> LeeAnn /div>							div classentry>								p>Due to an injury, I had to take a week off of yoga. If you know me, you know how difficult this was for me./p>p>But I was good … and I did it. Today was to be my first day back./p>p>As is my routine, I woke up and went for a quick run. I had a cup of coffee, and then headed to yoga./p>p>I couldn’t wait to get back to it./p>p>Its 5:30 am, and I am outside the yoga studio./p>p>I am putting my cell phone away when it rings … and it shows that it is my dad’s mobile phone./p>p>“Whats wrong???” I pick up./p>p>“You called us.”  He says, very groggily./p>p>“I didn’t call you. Are you ok?”/p>p>“Yes, but you must have pocket dialed us and it woke us up.”/p>p>“Dad, I am outside of the yoga studio and have my cell phone in my hand.”/p>p>“No,” he says. “It was from your house phone.”/p>p>“Dad, I am not at home.  And who puts their home phone in their pocket?” (I am much too awake for this conversation.)/p>p>“Well your mother picked it up and all she could hear was you walking around and heavy breathing.”/p>p>“Can I talk to mom?” At this point, I am thinking she had a nightmare./p>p>Mom gets on the phone. She’s even more groggy … and she still has her mouth guard in her mouth./p>p>“Thomeone ith in your houthe!”/p>p>“Mom, if del>thomeone/del> someone IS in my house, why would they be calling you?”/p>p>“I don’t know.  But you need to go home.”/p>p>“Mom, if someone is in my house, why do I want to go home?”/p>p>I em>really/em> want to go to yoga./p>p>“I don’t want to go home in the dark. If someone is in my house, he can’t get out without setting the alarm off, in which case the police will come. Go back to sleep, and I will call you when I get home.”/p>p>At this point, I was more than a little creeped out … but I was determined./p>p>I em>really/em> have to focus on my breath in yoga and not think about what was waiting for me when I got home./p>p>I speed home after yoga./p>p>I pass a neighborhood security car and almost stop and ask for an escort./p>p>No flashing lights on my street./p>p>My neighbor is out getting his paper in his boxer shorts, which I take as a good sign. If the police had been there, I think he would be wearing pants./p>p>I pull into my garage./p>p>I hold my alarm fob and acquaint myself with where the panic button is./p>p>I open my garage door and turn to go up the stairs to the first level./p>p>And I see …/p>p>a hrefhttp://willingnesstogrow.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Dillon-Print.jpg>img classaligncenter size-medium wp-image-5432 srchttp://willingnesstogrow.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Dillon-Print-300x265.jpg altDillon Print width300 height265 srcsethttp://willingnesstogrow.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Dillon-Print-300x265.jpg 300w, http://willingnesstogrow.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Dillon-Print-1024x906.jpg 1024w, http://willingnesstogrow.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Dillon-Print.jpg 1334w sizes(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px />/a>/p>								div classreadmorecontent>									a classreadmore hrefhttp://willingnesstogrow.com/someone-is-in-your-house/ relbookmark titlePermanent Link to Someone is in your House!>Read More »/a>								/div>							/div>													/div>!--/post-5426-->														div classpost-5410 post type-post status-publish format-standard hentry category-family category-fitness category-personal idpost-5410>                            							h2 classtitle>a hrefhttp://willingnesstogrow.com/acupuncture-and-me/ relbookmark titlePermanent Link to Acupuncture and Me>Acupuncture and Me/a>/h2>							div classpostdate>img srchttp://willingnesstogrow.com/wp-content/themes/WP-FreshLook/images/date.png /> August 2nd, 2015 img srchttp://willingnesstogrow.com/wp-content/themes/WP-FreshLook/images/user.png /> LeeAnn /div>							div classentry>								p>Over the past several years, I have experimented with more holistic approaches to my health concerns from a hrefhttps://releaf.co.uk/conditions/pain/complex-regional-pain-syndrome-medical-cannabis-treatment>complex regional pain syndrome treatments/a> to regular visits with nutritionists, chiropractors, and massage therapists./p>p>The one that I purposely avoided? Acupuncture./p>p>When I was in college, my roommate had an aunt (in-law, I believe) who was … out there, for lack of a better phrase. She was a strict vegan and a devotee of acupuncture. During one treatment, the needles apparently hit her “meat meridian” and she exited treatment a ravenous carnivore./p>p>So for twenty some years, acupuncture had this weird aura to it for me – “out there” aunts, the ability to accidentally yet radically change your life, and, of course, needles. Lots of them./p>p>Fast forward to my forties. I have tattoos … am a vegetarian … practice yoga religiously … and have given up more traditional approaches in favor of following my heart. I embrace healthy living./p>p>(Uh oh … am I the “out there” aunt?)/p>p>But I have this lingering sciatic pain that I can’t shake. At a point when I was desperate for relief, I meet a local acupuncturist and he tells me that he treats sciatic pain regularly./p>p>I was nervous at the first appointment and yet it was ok. The needles did not hurt. I slept through the treatment. I even convinced myself that my hip felt better afterwards./p>p>Apparently my meat meridian was not compromised, as I was still a vegetarian post treatment. I think the needles may have hit my DQ meridian though as I came out of my hour session craving a dipped cone./p>p>And then came the second appointment./p>p>I waited for 20 minutes, he talked to me for another 20 minutes and put me on the table to wait another 20 minutes. At this point, I am an hour into the treatment and nothing has been done to me./p>p>Needless to say, I am probably not open to positivity at this point./p>p>He had me lay on my back and placed needles all over my scalp and several on my face and forehead. He left me in the room and, after what seemed like hours, he came back to remove the needles./p>p>As he exits to allow me to get ready to leave, he says in a very soft and flowing voice …/p>p>“Ok LeeAnn, you are done. I couldn’t find three of the needles, but don’t worry, that happens all of the time.”/p>p>Pardon my language … but WTH?/p>p>I lay there still on the table for a minute./p>p>My mind racing./p>p>Needles are missing?/p>p>Where did they go?/p>p>Did they fall into some body cavity?/p>p>I had this image of sneezing later in the grocery store and projecting a tiny needle at warp speed out of my nose and piercing some unsuspecting old lady./p>p>Or did one fall into my eye? I don’t think I blinked for the next 24 hours out of fear of scratching my cornea./p>p>I drove home from the appointment one-handed with the other hand running over my entire face and head, about an inch from the surface./p>p>The end result?/p>p>The missing needles were never found and no innocent bystanders were harmed by my next sneeze./p>p>The sciatic pain, however, did return. To help manage discomfort and support overall well-being, consider options to relieve it naturally; you can even a hrefhttps://gbmushrooms.net/mushroom-gummies/>Buy Mushroom gummies/a> for an added boost in your health regimen./p>								div classreadmorecontent>									a classreadmore hrefhttp://willingnesstogrow.com/acupuncture-and-me/ relbookmark titlePermanent Link to Acupuncture and Me>Read More »/a>								/div>							/div>													/div>!--/post-5410-->														div classpost-5389 post type-post status-publish format-standard hentry category-dating category-personal idpost-5389>                            							h2 classtitle>a hrefhttp://willingnesstogrow.com/a-confession/ relbookmark titlePermanent Link to A Confession>A Confession/a>/h2>							div classpostdate>img srchttp://willingnesstogrow.com/wp-content/themes/WP-FreshLook/images/date.png /> July 25th, 2015 img srchttp://willingnesstogrow.com/wp-content/themes/WP-FreshLook/images/user.png /> LeeAnn /div>							div classentry>								p>Ok, this one is not going to be easy./p>p>I need to tell you something. And it is a bit embarrassing to me./p>p>Iwasonmatch.com./p>p>Phew./p>p>For exactly 16 days, 20 hours and 14 minutes./p>p>I got on it out of curiosity. I remained on it because, honestly, the attention is a bit addictive. Each night I would come home from work and have conversations (all in email) with five different men who were fascinated by everything about me./p>p>I eventually got off the site as it didn’t feel “authentic” to me and I am trying so hard to listen to that voice. Do I think match.com has value? Absolutely. It just was not right for me at this point in my life./p>p>However, I learned from the experience and want to share my knowledge! In the event any of you are curious and want to try it out, here are some important tips/observations. And if you find a good match ad you want your relationship to grow, you may consider seeking a hrefhttps://empathi.com/couples-therapy/palo-alto/>couples counseling Palo Alto/a> so you work out any issues with your partner./p>p>1. Being nice is not good. Nice will get you in trouble./p>p>One of the first emails that I received was three pages all about this “gentleman,” and his terrible experiences with women who told him he didn’t have enough money. I couldn’t NOT respond to him – I didn’t want him to think all women are materialistic and mean, so I responded. This was despite the fact that (a) of his five pictures on the site, three were in different colored “wife-beater” t-shirts, asking the viewer, which color do you like best? (I chose blue) and (b) when I showed his picture to my team at the bakery, one of them took one look at him and said, “he looks like a child molester” and then turned and walked away./p>p>Because I responded to him, he thought I was interested. I spent the next 16 days, 20 hours and 14 minutes trying to get rid of him./p>p>If you are unable to be mean, you may want to avoid match.com. I have strongly discouraged my sweet niece from ever getting on the site. She would end up married to a prisoner from Oklahoma before she could get off./p>p>2. People lie. Like seriously lie./p>p>Take the stated age and add ten years. Also, start with the assumption that the photographs are not recent. Black and white photos may not have been done for artistic effect./p>p>Also, take the stated height of the man and subtract four inches./p>p>I met a gentleman for dinner only to discover that he was ten years older than his biography stated. And despite that I had seen the eight pictures of him on his biography, I couldn’t have picked him out of a lineup. I think the bartender looked more like him in the pictures then he did./p>p>And yet I went out with him again. Because I am too nice. And then spent the next 16 days, 20 hours…./p>p>3. If you can keep your sense of humor, it is incredibly funny. While having drinks with one “match”, he casually turned to me and asked … “so, are you still fertile?”/p>p>Seriously, after I wiped up the Mich Ultra I spit out of my mouth, all I could do was laugh. I told him that I was going to retitle my match.com profile “48 and still fertile?” We have actually become pretty good friends. Which leads me to …/p>p>4. You CAN make good friends./p>p>In addition to Mr. Fertile, I now have a very good new friend who is a lawyer in Salt Lake City. As an aside, if there is not a separate dating site for Mormans, someone may want to consider setting one up. I am thinking that may be the most efficient way in which to find someone who del>does not run screaming from/del> is not hesitant about the prospect of twelve stepchildren./p>p>5. In all seriousness, be SAFE./p>p>I encouraged several friends to get on match.com. After a sleepless night, I texted them both the next morning and probably kept them from sleeping for the next month.  “Assume all men are ax-murderers until you know for certain otherwise.” Do NOT give any personal info – email addresses, phone numbers or home addresses until you (or I) do extensive online research./p>p>And above all, keep your sense of humor!/p>								div classreadmorecontent>									a classreadmore hrefhttp://willingnesstogrow.com/a-confession/ relbookmark titlePermanent Link to A Confession>Read More »/a>								/div>							/div>													/div>!--/post-5389-->														div classpost-5360 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-bakery tag-bakery tag-friends tag-personal idpost-5360>                            img width200 height200 srchttp://willingnesstogrow.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Great-Harvest-Front.jpg classalignleft post_thumbnail wp-post-image alt srcsethttp://willingnesstogrow.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Great-Harvest-Front.jpg 960w, http://willingnesstogrow.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Great-Harvest-Front-150x150.jpg 150w, http://willingnesstogrow.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Great-Harvest-Front-300x300.jpg 300w sizes(max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px />							h2 classtitle>a hrefhttp://willingnesstogrow.com/the-bakery/ relbookmark titlePermanent Link to The Bakery>The Bakery/a>/h2>							div classpostdate>img srchttp://willingnesstogrow.com/wp-content/themes/WP-FreshLook/images/date.png /> June 11th, 2015 img srchttp://willingnesstogrow.com/wp-content/themes/WP-FreshLook/images/user.png /> LeeAnn /div>							div classentry>								p>As many of you know, I am an owner of a Great Harvest bakery. We are approaching our second anniversary this summer./p>p>The bakery is a magical place./p>p>It is the merger of some pretty incredible people, all with their own scars and battle wounds, but each with an incredible presence and grace./p>p>I always refer to the Great Harvest employees as my team members. Growing up in sports, that is about the highest compliment I can give. We are all in it together, trying to succeed./p>p>And the fact that they give so much of themselves to the bakery is a bit overwhelming to me at times. I am so grateful to them./p>p>Our GHB team is by chance almost all women. And we range in age from 21 to in our 60s. We are from different cultures and backgrounds and are different races. We argue, we are moody, we cry and we yell./p>p>And yet we all share one thing … a genuine affection for each other./p>p>Coming from the legal/corporate background, I have always been trained to keep certain boundaries between you and your employees./p>p>Don’t hire friends./p>p>Don’t share too much of your own life./p>p>I followed that advice for the last 20 plus years./p>p>It didn’t work very well for me./p>p>In the bakery, I have decided to follow my heart.  And open my heart./p>p>I don’t keep boundaries. My team members have been through with me my separation, my divorce, dating and all of the ups and downs in between./p>p>They know my insecurities, my failures, my faults, and my strengths./p>p>And I know theirs. And the amount of character and perseverance that these women have shown in their lives is nothing short of miraculous. By sharing our stories, we share our strength with each other./p>p>We have hired friends because they needed us and we needed them./p>p>If you empower people with your heart, the bond created can be incredibly strong./p>p>Do we have bad days (or weeks)? Of course. I don’t think it would be real if there weren’t./p>p>However, I am continuously amazed at the phenomenally strong women on our team and the bond among us. With her permission, I will soon be sharing the story of one of our most beloved and courageous members.  Stay tuned./p>								div classreadmorecontent>									a classreadmore hrefhttp://willingnesstogrow.com/the-bakery/ relbookmark titlePermanent Link to The Bakery>Read More »/a>								/div>							/div>													/div>!--/post-5360-->														div classpost-5341 post type-post status-publish format-standard hentry category-uncategorized idpost-5341>                            							h2 classtitle>a hrefhttp://willingnesstogrow.com/why-i-blog/ relbookmark titlePermanent Link to Why I Blog>Why I Blog/a>/h2>							div classpostdate>img srchttp://willingnesstogrow.com/wp-content/themes/WP-FreshLook/images/date.png /> May 26th, 2015 img srchttp://willingnesstogrow.com/wp-content/themes/WP-FreshLook/images/user.png /> LeeAnn /div>							div classentry>								p>When I posted my last blog entry, which came after a long hiatus, I had a number of people express surprise that I blog. I found myself trying to explain … and not doing so very eloquently./p>p>Which is exactly why I blog (and why I only lasted a few years as a trial lawyer)./p>p>It is much easier for me to express myself with the written word. My success as an attorney was documenting, in writing, multi-million dollar deals for large national and international institutional clients./p>p>As I struggled to find my voice in my personal life, I should have known to turn to writing./p>p>As a fan of healthy living blogs, I realized that there really wasn’t one for my age group. I set up this site and slowly started to write, intending at first for the blog to be focused on healthy living issues for those of us women entering our forties. I focused on recipes, exercise and some relevant social issues. People were kind and encouraging, and I kept moving forward./p>p>And then I wrote a hrefhttp://willingnesstogrow.com/fortytude/>Fortytude/a>. At the time, I used my law firm email address for my contact information. The morning I published that post, I started to drive to the mountains for the weekend. About halfway there, my phone started to buzz constantly. I pulled over as I was certain that del>I was being sued for malpractice/del> there was an emergency at the office./p>p>There was no emergency. My phone buzzing reflected the over 7,000 hits on a hrefhttp://willingnesstogrow.com/fortytude/>Fortytude/a>. The entry had been posted on a national Word Press site called Freshly Pressed.  In addition to being the cause of crashing my firm’s email system, I was hooked on blogging./p>p>As I got more and more confident, the subject of my posts became more varied. I got intensely personal at times, as evidenced in a hrefhttp://willingnesstogrow.com/hello-my-name-is-leeann-and-i-have/>Hello my name is LeeAnn and I have …/a> and a hrefhttp://willingnesstogrow.com/follow-your-heart/>Follow Your Heart/a>./p>p>I wrote often about my family and my pets. See a hrefhttp://willingnesstogrow.com/a-very-timely-ode-to-oprah/>(A Very Timely) Ode to Oprah/a> and a hrefhttp://willingnesstogrow.com/wynonna-is-crying/>Wynonna is Crying/a>./p>p>My humorous posts are some of my favorites. I experienced pure joy writing a hrefhttp://willingnesstogrow.com/random-fun/>Random Fun/a> and a hrefhttp://willingnesstogrow.com/finding-the-humor/>Finding the Humor/a>./p>p>And in the process, I realized that, through writing, I am able to achieve growth and change in my life. It is almost as if it is a way for me to process my thoughts  … a way to hold myself accountable./p>p>And that is why I keep coming back to it./p>								div classreadmorecontent>									a classreadmore hrefhttp://willingnesstogrow.com/why-i-blog/ relbookmark titlePermanent Link to Why I Blog>Read More »/a>								/div>							/div>													/div>!--/post-5341-->														div classpost-5294 post type-post status-publish format-standard hentry category-animals category-family idpost-5294>                            							h2 classtitle>a hrefhttp://willingnesstogrow.com/its-time/ relbookmark titlePermanent Link to It’s Time>It’s Time/a>/h2>							div classpostdate>img srchttp://willingnesstogrow.com/wp-content/themes/WP-FreshLook/images/date.png /> May 11th, 2015 img srchttp://willingnesstogrow.com/wp-content/themes/WP-FreshLook/images/user.png /> LeeAnn /div>							div classentry>								p>Those of you who know me, know the changes that I have initiated in my life during the past several years. This blog was an incredible voice for me during that process. Through intense self inquiry, much of it documented on this blog, I realized that I was not happy. And I was tired of not being happy. I had become numb./p>p>I actively sought to change that … and I did. I separated from my husband of fourteen years, retired from the law after twenty-one years, opened a new business, and moved./p>p>Accomplishing these tasks has dominated my life./p>p>There was another major change. For fourteen years, she was my best friend, my confidant and my constant companion. Gracie was my absolute joy. She was my strength in difficult times./p>p>Gracie left me in April of 2014, at the age of 14./p>p>a hrefhttp://willingnesstogrow.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/IMG_0634.jpg>img classsize-medium wp-image-4770 aligncenter srchttp://willingnesstogrow.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/IMG_0634-300x225.jpg altand, oh so thankfully, this beautiful spirit has continued to grace me with her presence width300 height225 srcsethttp://willingnesstogrow.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/IMG_0634-300x225.jpg 300w, http://willingnesstogrow.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/IMG_0634-1024x768.jpg 1024w sizes(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px />/a>/p>p>It was the change in my life that brought me to my knees. I am still in mourning and suspect I always will be./p>p>Thankfully, I still have these two crazy Maine Coons./p>p>a hrefhttp://willingnesstogrow.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/IMG_0574.jpg>img classsize-medium wp-image-4769 aligncenter srchttp://willingnesstogrow.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/IMG_0574-300x225.jpg altwhile always making me laugh width300 height225 srcsethttp://willingnesstogrow.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/IMG_0574-300x225.jpg 300w, http://willingnesstogrow.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/IMG_0574-1024x768.jpg 1024w sizes(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px />/a>/p>p>And they also miss Gracie./p>p>a hrefhttp://willingnesstogrow.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Baron-and-Gracie.jpg>img classaligncenter size-medium wp-image-5298 srchttp://willingnesstogrow.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Baron-and-Gracie-300x225.jpg altBaron and Gracie width300 height225 srcsethttp://willingnesstogrow.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Baron-and-Gracie-300x225.jpg 300w, http://willingnesstogrow.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Baron-and-Gracie.jpg 960w sizes(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px />/a>/p>p>About six months ago, I brought home a rescue dog for a trial period. The young dog was able to get out of any crate that I put him in – and it was comical at first. Then my vet warned me that I was going to come home to a dead cat, as he was hunting the cats. We sent the sweet dog back to the rescuer, who kept him as her own pet (she has no cats)./p>p>I came very close to getting another English Bulldog puppy several months later. After several sleepless nights and a near panic attack, I decided against it. If your dog needs to gain more weight, you may a hrefhttps://roguepetscience.com/products/dog-weight-gainer-muscle-builder>shop now/a> for effective food supplements./p>p>It has now been over a year since the divorce. a hrefhttps://maryland-lawoffice.com/faq/alimony-faqs/>What disqualifies you from alimony?/a> This question often arises during the settlement process, as various factors can influence the outcome. Understanding these factors is crucial for ensuring fair and just financial arrangements post-divorce. The business has been open for more than eighteen months. I have lived in my new home for a year and my sweet Gracie has been gone for that period of time./p>p>And guess what?/p>p>I think I may have become numb again./p>p>I have been so intensely focused on achieving particular goals – mainly with regard to the business – that I have not spent any time just “being” in my new life. My house is my dream house … but it doesn’t really feel like home./p>p>I have feared getting another dog. I am afraid to give my heart so fully again to one who will likely die before I do. Will I be able to love to the extent that I did before?/p>p>I have (unintentionally) treated this time of my life as transitory. As a time between two phases of my life./p>p>I have decided … it’s time./p>p>Its time to live again. Its time to bring the balance back to my life./p>p>Its time to blog again./p>p>And its time to welcome Dillon home./p>p>a hrefhttp://willingnesstogrow.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Charlie.jpg>img classaligncenter size-medium wp-image-5316 srchttp://willingnesstogrow.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Charlie-300x234.jpg altCharlie width300 height234 srcsethttp://willingnesstogrow.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Charlie-300x234.jpg 300w, http://willingnesstogrow.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Charlie.jpg 530w sizes(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px />/a>/p>								div classreadmorecontent>									a classreadmore hrefhttp://willingnesstogrow.com/its-time/ relbookmark titlePermanent Link to It’s Time>Read More »/a>								/div>							/div>													/div>!--/post-5294-->														div classpost-5196 post type-post status-publish format-standard hentry category-fitness category-nutrition tag-bikram tag-clean idpost-5196>                            							h2 classtitle>a hrefhttp://willingnesstogrow.com/mid-clean/ relbookmark titlePermanent Link to Mid-Clean>Mid-Clean/a>/h2>							div classpostdate>img srchttp://willingnesstogrow.com/wp-content/themes/WP-FreshLook/images/date.png /> January 27th, 2013 img srchttp://willingnesstogrow.com/wp-content/themes/WP-FreshLook/images/user.png /> LeeAnn /div>							div classentry>								p>I am now more than half-way through the four-week Clean program./p>p>How do I feel?/p>p>I feel … wait for it … em>clean/em>./p>p>Honestly, I feel pretty phenomenal./p>p>The biggest changes that I have noticed are (i) my level of energy is extremely high; and (ii) I have a clarity of thought that I don’t always experience.  Both of which together have made me one very productive person in the last few weeks. In the past week, I have started to sleep better as well – longer and more deeply./p>p>At the same time as I am going through Clean, I have embarked on the 60 day challenge in Bikram yoga. For the past several years, I have struggled with an issue in my left leg/hip area and I became determined to remedy it in 2013. On the advice of my chiropractor, I have given up running for 60 days. I also felt that some of the moves in power yoga were aggravating the injury, so I am taking a break from that as well./p>p>So, consider that in addition to being on the cleanse, I am doing 90 minutes of yoga at 105 degrees once a day, and STILL feel full of energy. I expected that I might feel more light-headed at yoga while on the lower caloric intake of the cleanse, but I have not./p>p>As I mentioned in my prior post, we started with one week of the Elimination Diet, and then went into the three-week cleanse portion.  During the three-week period, breakfasts and dinners consist of liquids.  You can eat a full lunch from the Elimination Diet foods./p>p>The cleanse period did take some adjusting. I faced an almost panic the first few nights as to what I was going to del>eat/del> drink. I now have a refrigerator and freezer full of single serving containers of broccoli soup, cauliflower soup and bean soup./p>p>Dinner is now a no-brainer./p>p>Is it satisfying? Eh … the short answer is not always, but I have gotten much more used to it. I really enjoy having a lighter dinner. I remember the days of going to bed on an overly full stomach and feeling miserable. I believe that also affected the quality of my sleep. During Clean, I go to bed (and wake up) feeling lean./p>p>Over the past several weeks, my approach to food has changed. I look at it more as something that fuels my body and will last, as opposed to something that will really taste good. I am much more conscious of getting the variety of fruits, vegetables and proteins that I need./p>p>I have gotten used to more subtle tastes. I think if I ate something like nacho cheese Doritos now, it would overwhelm me. Through the additives and chemicals that manufacturers have added to so many food products, I think we have all gotten used to such intense tastes – and that is not how food is in its natural state (for the most part). I feel like Clean has reset my taste expectations./p>p>What has been the hardest part for me? Probably the weekends. So much of our social life revolves around going out to dinner, which we have not done during Clean. I don’t want to be tempted – and, probably more than anything, I would miss the glass of wine./p>p>I have eaten lunch out several times. We are so fortunate that through the connections of Savannah Power Yoga, several local restaurants are offering Clean items on their menu. This has made lunch meetings possible. I have also gone to lunch at another restaurant in town and asked for a big salad, with no dressing, and a scoop of hummus on top. A little barren looking, but it did the trick in terms of satisfying me and lasting through the afternoon./p>p>My husband has had a harder time, and doesn’t feel quite the benefits that I have felt. But it is not over yet. He very much misses coffee, and also laments not being able to have (chewable) food for dinner./p>p>We will be done with our Clean journey a week from this Wednesday. Oddly enough, I am a bit sad about it coming to an end. And then I remind myself that it doesn’t really have to end./p>p>There are aspects of Clean that I will incorporate permanently into my life./p>p>Protein smoothies are now my breakfast of choice./p>p>I will remain conscious about maintaining a twelve hour window between dinner and breakfast, to aid the digestive and detoxification process./p>p>I enjoy the structure of a larger meal at lunch and a light and easy dinner. I like taking the emphasis off of eating – what we are having, when, how much to make, do we have the ingredients, etc./p>p>After the three-week cleanse period, we are instructed to slowly introduce foods back into our diet, to see how our body reacts to them.  I am very interested to see how this process goes./p>p>I know that there are items that I will leave out of my diet – such as caffeine. For me, much of the morning coffee routine was to hold a cup of something warm. I have found that decaf green tea fills that need in me (in my husband, not so much)./p>p>I also have a feeling that dairy will not make its way back into my diet. Almond milk has become my favorite smoothie additive.  I thought I would miss cheese, but I have not. I have added nutritional yeast to some of my soups, and that has satisfied my desire for a cheese-like taste./p>p>All in all, it has been an extremely informative and positive experience./p>p>I will be doing Clean again./p>p>My husband … probably not./p>p> /p>								div classreadmorecontent>									a classreadmore hrefhttp://willingnesstogrow.com/mid-clean/ relbookmark titlePermanent Link to Mid-Clean>Read More »/a>								/div>							/div>													/div>!--/post-5196-->												div classnavigation>										div classalignleft>a hrefhttp://willingnesstogrow.com/page/2/ >« Older Entries/a>/div>					div classalignright>/div>									/div>								/div>			/div>				div classspan-8 last>		div classsidebar>            div idtopsearch >     		div idsearch>    form methodget idsearchform actionhttp://willingnesstogrow.com/>         input typetext valueSearch             names ids  onblurif (this.value  )  {this.value  Search;}              onfocusif (this.value  Search) {this.value  ;} 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							/div>													div classimageElement>								h3>/h3>								p>/p>								a href# titleThis is featured post 5 classopen>/a> 								img srchttps://willingnesstogrow.com/wp-content/themes/WP-FreshLook/jdgallery/slides/5.jpg classfull alt /> 								img srchttps://willingnesstogrow.com/wp-content/themes/WP-FreshLook/jdgallery/slides/5.jpg classthumbnail alt /> 							/div>									/div>		/div>	/div>/div>                     																		div classpost-4900 post type-post status-publish format-standard hentry category-personal idpost-4900>                            							h2 classtitle>a hrefhttps://willingnesstogrow.com/my-least-favorite-topic/ relbookmark titlePermanent Link to My Least Favorite Topic>My Least Favorite Topic/a>/h2>							div classpostdate>img srchttps://willingnesstogrow.com/wp-content/themes/WP-FreshLook/images/date.png /> July 26th, 2016 img srchttps://willingnesstogrow.com/wp-content/themes/WP-FreshLook/images/user.png /> LeeAnn /div>							div classentry>								p>My least favorite topic is em>politics/em>./p>p>Politics have been prevalent in my life. I grew up in a politically active family./p>p>I have always been proud of what my family accomplished and the manner in which they did so – and I always will be./p>p>You must have very thick skin though./p>p>I don’t think that I ever developed it. I can still remember feeling hurt when a friend told me at the tender age of five that his parents would never have voted for my loved one./p>p>Perhaps that is what shaped me./p>p>I am fascinated by politics. I enjoy learning about opinions that are different from mine. I enjoy studying politics and watching political events./p>p>What I don’t enjoy is discussing politics in social settings. In my experience, tempers flare and passions are ignited./p>p>I feel strongly about my beliefs. I am interested to hear yours, if you can share them in a calm and nonjudgmental manner. I promise that I can./p>p>When I ask you a question about your beliefs, I genuinely want to learn why you feel that way. Don’t ask me about mine just to bait me and then argue./p>p>If you aren’t open to learning, why bother discussing?/p>p>So, if you try to engage me on this topic, please understand why I do not participate. When I withdraw from you or leave the room during a heated discussion, please do not be offended or think that I am acquiescing or being weak. I have experienced the anger and hurt that comes from those conversations, and I choose to not participate./p>p>While politics are important to me, friends, family and relationships are on a much higher plane, as I met friends in the school, work or even online at a hrefhttps://chatempanada.com>chatempanada.com/a>. I do not invite people into my life based on their political beliefs./p>p>The lack of civility is what really bothers me./p>p>When did we lose the ability to respect each other’s opinions, em>especially/em> when they are different from our own?/p>p>When did we lose sight of the beneficial aspects of having a country of em>differences/em>?/p>p>When did we all get so much confidence in our own opinions that we know that we are em>right/em>?/p>p>When did it become all about em>winning/em>?/p>div>/div>div>p>I am currently reading em>Profiles in Courage/em>, the Pulitzer Prize winning book by John F. Kennedy./p>div>/div>div>p>JFK provides three quotations addressing the general public’s view of Congress:/p>div>/div>div>p>“… What you hear in Congress is 99% tripe, ignorance and demagoguery and not to be relied upon ….”/p>div>/div>p>“While I am reluctant to believe in the total depravity of the Senate, I place but little dependence on the honesty and truthfulness of a large portion of the Senators.”/p>p>“… The confidence of the people is departing from us, owing to our unreasonable delays.”/p>p>The quotations were attributed to the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries./p>p>As I was reading these, a sense of relief flooded over me./p>p>Lately I question if there are any politicians who try to do the right thing. I know that the one with whom I used to nap did./p>p>It relieved me that there were the same concerns about politicians two hundred years ago and the system continued to function./p>p>JFK proceeds to illustrate, and conclude, that this does em>not/em> mean that there are no men (and women) of courage in Congress./p>p>While at times the situation seems bleak, compromise no longer exists, once open minds seem to be closed, friends become enemies, families fight … I refuse to give up hope./p>p>I em>know/em> that there are courageous, ethical and kind people. I choose to em>believe/em> that there are courageous, ethical and kind people in politics./p>p>It helps to be reminded./p>/div>/div>/div>								div classreadmorecontent>									a classreadmore hrefhttps://willingnesstogrow.com/my-least-favorite-topic/ relbookmark titlePermanent Link to My Least Favorite Topic>Read More »/a>								/div>							/div>													/div>!--/post-4900-->														div classpost-5474 post type-post status-publish format-standard hentry category-fitness category-personal idpost-5474>                            							h2 classtitle>a hrefhttps://willingnesstogrow.com/nearly-crushed-by-orange-theory/ relbookmark titlePermanent Link to Nearly Crushed by Orange Theory>Nearly Crushed by Orange Theory/a>/h2>							div classpostdate>img srchttps://willingnesstogrow.com/wp-content/themes/WP-FreshLook/images/date.png /> July 19th, 2016 img srchttps://willingnesstogrow.com/wp-content/themes/WP-FreshLook/images/user.png /> LeeAnn /div>							div classentry>								p>Have you heard of Orange Theory? It is the new fitness rage./p>p>My sister-in-law and niece are big advocates./p>p>The family met in Philadelphia for the start of the 4th of July weekend to celebrate my nephew’s birthday. As the trip approached, my niece Sam texted me that she signed us up for the Saturday morning Orange Theory class./p>p>I run and practice yoga regularly. I was not worried em>at all/em>./p>p>We were staying near my nephew’s house on the Penn campus four miles from the Orange Theory gym. I convinced Sam to walk to and from the class on Saturday morning./p>p>That was Mistake Number One./p>p>We arrived and my legs were tired. I was feeling the beer that I had consumed the night before with my brother and nephew (Mistake Number Two)./p>p>The staff handed me a heart monitor to wear, and warned me to make it tight. Mistake Number Three was cinching it so that it restricted my breathing./p>p>I was nervous. Perhaps I am old-fashioned, but in my experience heart rates are monitored to keep you from em>dying/em>./p>p>The room had rows of treadmills, rowing machines and floor equipment./p>p>a hrefhttp://willingnesstogrow.com/nearly-crushed-by-orange-theory/screen-shot-2016-07-17-at-12-29-56-pm/ relattachment wp-att-5484>img classaligncenter size-medium wp-image-5484 srchttp://willingnesstogrow.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Screen-Shot-2016-07-17-at-12.29.56-PM-300x166.png altScreen Shot 2016-07-17 at 12.29.56 PM width300 height166 srcsethttps://willingnesstogrow.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Screen-Shot-2016-07-17-at-12.29.56-PM-300x166.png 300w, https://willingnesstogrow.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Screen-Shot-2016-07-17-at-12.29.56-PM-768x424.png 768w, https://willingnesstogrow.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Screen-Shot-2016-07-17-at-12.29.56-PM-1024x565.png 1024w, https://willingnesstogrow.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Screen-Shot-2016-07-17-at-12.29.56-PM.png 1236w sizes(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px />/a>/p>p>The coach explained that we would be doing eleven minutes on the treadmill, eleven minutes on rowing/floor, eleven minutes back on the treadmill, and then the final eleven on the rowing/floor./p>p>Sam and I picked our treadmills and started. It immediately felt like I was climbing a mountain. I think the whole building may have been tilted./p>p>And then the coach told us to increase the incline./p>p>I started to not like him./p>p>He instructed us to jog for a minute, and then increase it to a run pace for three minutes./p>p>During the run, I was struggling./p>p>I can do anything for three minutes, so I focused on the time./p>p>Three minutes approached and I thought that maybe I won’t throw up or die. I desperately tried not to think of the heart monitor becoming embedded in my ribs./p>p>Three minutes and nothing from the coach.  He was focused on the floor group./p>p>At three and a half minutes I started thinking not nice things about the coach./p>p>Four minutes and I got annoyed at the floor group./p>p>During this del>torture/del> time, your heart rate is shown on a large tv screen, along with everyone else in the class. You are encouraged to monitor it, and the goal is to spend between 12 and 20 minutes with your heart rate in the “orange zone,” the second most intense of the five designated heart rate zones ranging from gray to red. This creates an effect called the Excess Post-Exercise Oxygen Consumption (EPOC), also called afterburn./p>p>a hrefhttp://willingnesstogrow.com/nearly-crushed-by-orange-theory/screen-shot-2016-07-17-at-12-40-06-pm/ relattachment wp-att-5487>img classaligncenter size-medium wp-image-5487 srchttp://willingnesstogrow.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Screen-Shot-2016-07-17-at-12.40.06-PM-300x183.png altScreen Shot 2016-07-17 at 12.40.06 PM width300 height183 srcsethttps://willingnesstogrow.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Screen-Shot-2016-07-17-at-12.40.06-PM-300x183.png 300w, https://willingnesstogrow.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Screen-Shot-2016-07-17-at-12.40.06-PM-768x469.png 768w, https://willingnesstogrow.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Screen-Shot-2016-07-17-at-12.40.06-PM-1024x625.png 1024w, https://willingnesstogrow.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Screen-Shot-2016-07-17-at-12.40.06-PM.png 1202w sizes(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px />/a>/p>p>This makes sense conceptually. Practically, it meant that I had to LOOK AT the tv screen. I was doing all I could to keep the inclined treadmill (and building) from jettisoning me off. At the very least, the motion would have made me dizzy. At the worst, I would have flattened the coach who was right behind me./p>p>That thought became more and more appealing to me./p>p>At five minutes, the coach came back to us and said “doing great, only one more minute!”/p>p>I then knew I was not alone./p>p>The words that came from my sweet niece and the lady on the other side of me were impressive./p>p>I survived the entire class with Sam by my side./p>p>The coach escaped injury./p>p>The heart rate monitor did not have to be surgically removed, although I did walk away wearing it and would probably still have it on now if not for Sam./p>p>After class, I was emailed my performance statistics. This is what your results should look like:/p>p>a hrefhttp://willingnesstogrow.com/nearly-crushed-by-orange-theory/screen-shot-2016-07-17-at-11-56-34-am/ relattachment wp-att-5479>img classaligncenter size-medium wp-image-5479 srchttp://willingnesstogrow.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Screen-Shot-2016-07-17-at-11.56.34-AM-300x148.png altScreen Shot 2016-07-17 at 11.56.34 AM width300 height148 srcsethttps://willingnesstogrow.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Screen-Shot-2016-07-17-at-11.56.34-AM-300x148.png 300w, https://willingnesstogrow.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Screen-Shot-2016-07-17-at-11.56.34-AM-768x380.png 768w, https://willingnesstogrow.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Screen-Shot-2016-07-17-at-11.56.34-AM-1024x506.png 1024w, https://willingnesstogrow.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Screen-Shot-2016-07-17-at-11.56.34-AM.png 1392w sizes(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px />/a>/p>p>And this is what mine were:/p>p>a hrefhttp://willingnesstogrow.com/nearly-crushed-by-orange-theory/screen-shot-2016-07-17-at-12-38-26-pm/ relattachment wp-att-5486>img classaligncenter size-medium wp-image-5486 srchttp://willingnesstogrow.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Screen-Shot-2016-07-17-at-12.38.26-PM-300x197.png altScreen Shot 2016-07-17 at 12.38.26 PM width300 height197 srcsethttps://willingnesstogrow.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Screen-Shot-2016-07-17-at-12.38.26-PM-300x197.png 300w, https://willingnesstogrow.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Screen-Shot-2016-07-17-at-12.38.26-PM-768x505.png 768w, https://willingnesstogrow.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Screen-Shot-2016-07-17-at-12.38.26-PM-1024x673.png 1024w sizes(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px />/a>/p>p>Given that I spent so much time in the “red”, the heart rate monitor was probably a good idea./p>								div classreadmorecontent>									a classreadmore hrefhttps://willingnesstogrow.com/nearly-crushed-by-orange-theory/ relbookmark titlePermanent Link to Nearly Crushed by Orange Theory>Read More »/a>								/div>							/div>													/div>!--/post-5474-->														div classpost-5444 post type-post status-publish format-standard hentry category-personal idpost-5444>                            							h2 classtitle>a hrefhttps://willingnesstogrow.com/the-journey-continues/ relbookmark titlePermanent Link to The Journey Continues>The Journey Continues/a>/h2>							div classpostdate>img srchttps://willingnesstogrow.com/wp-content/themes/WP-FreshLook/images/date.png /> July 14th, 2016 img srchttps://willingnesstogrow.com/wp-content/themes/WP-FreshLook/images/user.png /> LeeAnn /div>							div classentry>								p>Five years ago, I started this blog when I was struggling. I felt that I had veered off course./p>p>Happiness had become elusive; my profession was draining me; my marriage was difficult. I was not living the life I had envisioned./p>p>Writing became an outlet for me during that time; it was both an emotional release and also a way in which to organize and analyze my feelings./p>p>Much has changed./p>p>I left my profession of twenty-one plus years – the one that I had declared mine at the age of eight. I started a business, divorced, moved, lost my soul mate, got tattooed, sold a business … and more./p>p>Being very goal oriented, I began the journey by identifying a business to build. And I kept that goal in my vision always. I anticipated that when I achieved it, I would feel fulfilled and at peace. I would be living “a life more authentic to my true self.”/p>p>For a year while the initial stages of the business were in progress and my divorce was being finalized, I found myself alone … uncertain … anxious … insecure.  Places that I had not been before. The circumstances, and my tendency to be overly analytical, led me to a period of intense self inquiry and examination. It is advised that you do a little research about the a hrefhttps://lawyer-il.com/family-law-practice-areas/tax-implications/>tax implications in divorce/a> and seek legal advice to protect your interests. If you have kids, you should hire an expert in a hrefhttps://kellerlegalservices.com/blog/2023/11/21/what-rights-do-unmarried-fathers-have-in-illinois/>custody laws in Illinois for unmarried parents/a>. You may also consult a hrefhttps://www.divorcelawyerschicago.org/>Michael Craven Attorney/a> for expert legal assistance. And when facing criminal charges, it’s imperative to choose a lawyer who understands the local legal landscape. The right attorney can provide the necessary expertise and support to guide you through the legal process. Having a seasoned professional by your side can significantly impact the outcome of your case. Check out a hrefhttps://www.newjerseycriminallawattorney.com/>this web site/a> to find out how an experienced lawyer can help. In many legal cases, polygraph tests are employed to discern the truth. These are often conducted when a partner in a relationship suspects infidelity. While controversial and not foolproof, these tests can sometimes provide clarity in complex emotional situations. Contact a hrefhttps://liedetector.co.uk/Manchester>lie detector manchester/a> for professional services./p>p>And if your attorney did not treat you and your case with a professional level of attention or committed a significant error in representation, you may be upset and discouraged, thinking that you will not be able to hold them responsible. A lawyer who specializes in legal malpractice cases will be familiar with the ways another lawyer will try to avoid responsibility. Make sure to contact these a hrefhttps://ravidandassociates.com/practice-areas/legal-malpractice/>lawyers who sue lawyers/a>./p>p>I increased my yoga practice into a daily one. Through that discipline, I became more conscious of my physical being; that self-awareness then extended to my emotional state. It became evident that I could choose how my sixty minutes on the mat were going to be that day; from there, the choice extended to my day, my week … and my life./p>p>With that came the understanding that my past had been within my control as well. I sought to understand why I made the choices I had made and to understand my part in the failures. My goal was not only to avoid the same mistakes again, but also to cultivate forgiveness and compassion in my heart./p>p>With the solitude came a panic and a sadness and, honestly, some not great decisions. I worked to become at peace with being alone. I grew by em>being/em> with myself./p>p>I started to peel away the protective layers. I made the choice to lead with my heart, knowing that it will come with hurt … and it has. It has also resulted in overwhelming love and support flowing back to me./p>p>The business opened and it became a thriving part of the community./p>p>And yet I yearned to move on./p>p>I am back to a period of transition. But this time it feels different./p>p>This transition I go into at peace./p>p>I now know that life – truly experiencing life – is not about reaching for that final goal or summit and achieving it. It is about how you live this minute … and the next one … and then the next one./p>p>Success for me is not defined by careers or money./p>p>Will I set long-term goals again? Without a doubt./p>p>But I won’t expect the achievement of that goal to bring inner peace and happiness./p>p>It is my responsibility to cultivate that inner peace and happiness every day./p>p>And so my journey continues./p>								div classreadmorecontent>									a classreadmore hrefhttps://willingnesstogrow.com/the-journey-continues/ relbookmark titlePermanent Link to The Journey Continues>Read More »/a>								/div>							/div>													/div>!--/post-5444-->														div classpost-5426 post type-post status-publish format-standard hentry category-animals category-family category-personal idpost-5426>                            							h2 classtitle>a hrefhttps://willingnesstogrow.com/someone-is-in-your-house/ relbookmark titlePermanent Link to Someone is in your House!>Someone is in your House!/a>/h2>							div classpostdate>img srchttps://willingnesstogrow.com/wp-content/themes/WP-FreshLook/images/date.png /> October 15th, 2015 img srchttps://willingnesstogrow.com/wp-content/themes/WP-FreshLook/images/user.png /> LeeAnn /div>							div classentry>								p>Due to an injury, I had to take a week off of yoga. If you know me, you know how difficult this was for me./p>p>But I was good … and I did it. Today was to be my first day back./p>p>As is my routine, I woke up and went for a quick run. I had a cup of coffee, and then headed to yoga./p>p>I couldn’t wait to get back to it./p>p>Its 5:30 am, and I am outside the yoga studio./p>p>I am putting my cell phone away when it rings … and it shows that it is my dad’s mobile phone./p>p>“Whats wrong???” I pick up./p>p>“You called us.”  He says, very groggily./p>p>“I didn’t call you. Are you ok?”/p>p>“Yes, but you must have pocket dialed us and it woke us up.”/p>p>“Dad, I am outside of the yoga studio and have my cell phone in my hand.”/p>p>“No,” he says. “It was from your house phone.”/p>p>“Dad, I am not at home.  And who puts their home phone in their pocket?” (I am much too awake for this conversation.)/p>p>“Well your mother picked it up and all she could hear was you walking around and heavy breathing.”/p>p>“Can I talk to mom?” At this point, I am thinking she had a nightmare./p>p>Mom gets on the phone. She’s even more groggy … and she still has her mouth guard in her mouth./p>p>“Thomeone ith in your houthe!”/p>p>“Mom, if del>thomeone/del> someone IS in my house, why would they be calling you?”/p>p>“I don’t know.  But you need to go home.”/p>p>“Mom, if someone is in my house, why do I want to go home?”/p>p>I em>really/em> want to go to yoga./p>p>“I don’t want to go home in the dark. If someone is in my house, he can’t get out without setting the alarm off, in which case the police will come. Go back to sleep, and I will call you when I get home.”/p>p>At this point, I was more than a little creeped out … but I was determined./p>p>I em>really/em> have to focus on my breath in yoga and not think about what was waiting for me when I got home./p>p>I speed home after yoga./p>p>I pass a neighborhood security car and almost stop and ask for an escort./p>p>No flashing lights on my street./p>p>My neighbor is out getting his paper in his boxer shorts, which I take as a good sign. If the police had been there, I think he would be wearing pants./p>p>I pull into my garage./p>p>I hold my alarm fob and acquaint myself with where the panic button is./p>p>I open my garage door and turn to go up the stairs to the first level./p>p>And I see …/p>p>a hrefhttp://willingnesstogrow.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Dillon-Print.jpg>img classaligncenter size-medium wp-image-5432 srchttp://willingnesstogrow.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Dillon-Print-300x265.jpg altDillon Print width300 height265 srcsethttps://willingnesstogrow.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Dillon-Print-300x265.jpg 300w, https://willingnesstogrow.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Dillon-Print-1024x906.jpg 1024w, https://willingnesstogrow.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Dillon-Print.jpg 1334w sizes(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px />/a>/p>								div classreadmorecontent>									a classreadmore hrefhttps://willingnesstogrow.com/someone-is-in-your-house/ relbookmark titlePermanent Link to Someone is in your House!>Read More »/a>								/div>							/div>													/div>!--/post-5426-->														div classpost-5410 post type-post status-publish format-standard hentry category-family category-fitness category-personal idpost-5410>                            							h2 classtitle>a hrefhttps://willingnesstogrow.com/acupuncture-and-me/ relbookmark titlePermanent Link to Acupuncture and Me>Acupuncture and Me/a>/h2>							div classpostdate>img srchttps://willingnesstogrow.com/wp-content/themes/WP-FreshLook/images/date.png /> August 2nd, 2015 img srchttps://willingnesstogrow.com/wp-content/themes/WP-FreshLook/images/user.png /> LeeAnn /div>							div classentry>								p>Over the past several years, I have experimented with more holistic approaches to my health concerns from a hrefhttps://releaf.co.uk/conditions/pain/complex-regional-pain-syndrome-medical-cannabis-treatment>complex regional pain syndrome treatments/a> to regular visits with nutritionists, chiropractors, and massage therapists./p>p>The one that I purposely avoided? Acupuncture./p>p>When I was in college, my roommate had an aunt (in-law, I believe) who was … out there, for lack of a better phrase. She was a strict vegan and a devotee of acupuncture. During one treatment, the needles apparently hit her “meat meridian” and she exited treatment a ravenous carnivore./p>p>So for twenty some years, acupuncture had this weird aura to it for me – “out there” aunts, the ability to accidentally yet radically change your life, and, of course, needles. Lots of them./p>p>Fast forward to my forties. I have tattoos … am a vegetarian … practice yoga religiously … and have given up more traditional approaches in favor of following my heart. I embrace healthy living./p>p>(Uh oh … am I the “out there” aunt?)/p>p>But I have this lingering sciatic pain that I can’t shake. At a point when I was desperate for relief, I meet a local acupuncturist and he tells me that he treats sciatic pain regularly./p>p>I was nervous at the first appointment and yet it was ok. The needles did not hurt. I slept through the treatment. I even convinced myself that my hip felt better afterwards./p>p>Apparently my meat meridian was not compromised, as I was still a vegetarian post treatment. I think the needles may have hit my DQ meridian though as I came out of my hour session craving a dipped cone./p>p>And then came the second appointment./p>p>I waited for 20 minutes, he talked to me for another 20 minutes and put me on the table to wait another 20 minutes. At this point, I am an hour into the treatment and nothing has been done to me./p>p>Needless to say, I am probably not open to positivity at this point./p>p>He had me lay on my back and placed needles all over my scalp and several on my face and forehead. He left me in the room and, after what seemed like hours, he came back to remove the needles./p>p>As he exits to allow me to get ready to leave, he says in a very soft and flowing voice …/p>p>“Ok LeeAnn, you are done. I couldn’t find three of the needles, but don’t worry, that happens all of the time.”/p>p>Pardon my language … but WTH?/p>p>I lay there still on the table for a minute./p>p>My mind racing./p>p>Needles are missing?/p>p>Where did they go?/p>p>Did they fall into some body cavity?/p>p>I had this image of sneezing later in the grocery store and projecting a tiny needle at warp speed out of my nose and piercing some unsuspecting old lady./p>p>Or did one fall into my eye? I don’t think I blinked for the next 24 hours out of fear of scratching my cornea./p>p>I drove home from the appointment one-handed with the other hand running over my entire face and head, about an inch from the surface./p>p>The end result?/p>p>The missing needles were never found and no innocent bystanders were harmed by my next sneeze./p>p>The sciatic pain, however, did return. To help manage discomfort and support overall well-being, consider options to relieve it naturally; you can even a hrefhttps://gbmushrooms.net/mushroom-gummies/>Buy Mushroom gummies/a> for an added boost in your health regimen./p>								div classreadmorecontent>									a classreadmore hrefhttps://willingnesstogrow.com/acupuncture-and-me/ relbookmark titlePermanent Link to Acupuncture and Me>Read More »/a>								/div>							/div>													/div>!--/post-5410-->														div classpost-5389 post type-post status-publish format-standard hentry category-dating category-personal idpost-5389>                            							h2 classtitle>a hrefhttps://willingnesstogrow.com/a-confession/ relbookmark titlePermanent Link to A Confession>A Confession/a>/h2>							div classpostdate>img srchttps://willingnesstogrow.com/wp-content/themes/WP-FreshLook/images/date.png /> July 25th, 2015 img srchttps://willingnesstogrow.com/wp-content/themes/WP-FreshLook/images/user.png /> LeeAnn /div>							div classentry>								p>Ok, this one is not going to be easy./p>p>I need to tell you something. And it is a bit embarrassing to me./p>p>Iwasonmatch.com./p>p>Phew./p>p>For exactly 16 days, 20 hours and 14 minutes./p>p>I got on it out of curiosity. I remained on it because, honestly, the attention is a bit addictive. Each night I would come home from work and have conversations (all in email) with five different men who were fascinated by everything about me./p>p>I eventually got off the site as it didn’t feel “authentic” to me and I am trying so hard to listen to that voice. Do I think match.com has value? Absolutely. It just was not right for me at this point in my life./p>p>However, I learned from the experience and want to share my knowledge! In the event any of you are curious and want to try it out, here are some important tips/observations. And if you find a good match ad you want your relationship to grow, you may consider seeking a hrefhttps://empathi.com/couples-therapy/palo-alto/>couples counseling Palo Alto/a> so you work out any issues with your partner./p>p>1. Being nice is not good. Nice will get you in trouble./p>p>One of the first emails that I received was three pages all about this “gentleman,” and his terrible experiences with women who told him he didn’t have enough money. I couldn’t NOT respond to him – I didn’t want him to think all women are materialistic and mean, so I responded. This was despite the fact that (a) of his five pictures on the site, three were in different colored “wife-beater” t-shirts, asking the viewer, which color do you like best? (I chose blue) and (b) when I showed his picture to my team at the bakery, one of them took one look at him and said, “he looks like a child molester” and then turned and walked away./p>p>Because I responded to him, he thought I was interested. I spent the next 16 days, 20 hours and 14 minutes trying to get rid of him./p>p>If you are unable to be mean, you may want to avoid match.com. I have strongly discouraged my sweet niece from ever getting on the site. She would end up married to a prisoner from Oklahoma before she could get off./p>p>2. People lie. Like seriously lie./p>p>Take the stated age and add ten years. Also, start with the assumption that the photographs are not recent. Black and white photos may not have been done for artistic effect./p>p>Also, take the stated height of the man and subtract four inches./p>p>I met a gentleman for dinner only to discover that he was ten years older than his biography stated. And despite that I had seen the eight pictures of him on his biography, I couldn’t have picked him out of a lineup. I think the bartender looked more like him in the pictures then he did./p>p>And yet I went out with him again. Because I am too nice. And then spent the next 16 days, 20 hours…./p>p>3. If you can keep your sense of humor, it is incredibly funny. While having drinks with one “match”, he casually turned to me and asked … “so, are you still fertile?”/p>p>Seriously, after I wiped up the Mich Ultra I spit out of my mouth, all I could do was laugh. I told him that I was going to retitle my match.com profile “48 and still fertile?” We have actually become pretty good friends. Which leads me to …/p>p>4. You CAN make good friends./p>p>In addition to Mr. Fertile, I now have a very good new friend who is a lawyer in Salt Lake City. As an aside, if there is not a separate dating site for Mormans, someone may want to consider setting one up. I am thinking that may be the most efficient way in which to find someone who del>does not run screaming from/del> is not hesitant about the prospect of twelve stepchildren./p>p>5. In all seriousness, be SAFE./p>p>I encouraged several friends to get on match.com. After a sleepless night, I texted them both the next morning and probably kept them from sleeping for the next month.  “Assume all men are ax-murderers until you know for certain otherwise.” Do NOT give any personal info – email addresses, phone numbers or home addresses until you (or I) do extensive online research./p>p>And above all, keep your sense of humor!/p>								div classreadmorecontent>									a classreadmore hrefhttps://willingnesstogrow.com/a-confession/ relbookmark titlePermanent Link to A Confession>Read More »/a>								/div>							/div>													/div>!--/post-5389-->														div classpost-5360 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-bakery tag-bakery tag-friends tag-personal idpost-5360>                            img width200 height200 srchttps://willingnesstogrow.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Great-Harvest-Front.jpg classalignleft post_thumbnail wp-post-image alt srcsethttps://willingnesstogrow.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Great-Harvest-Front.jpg 960w, https://willingnesstogrow.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Great-Harvest-Front-150x150.jpg 150w, https://willingnesstogrow.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Great-Harvest-Front-300x300.jpg 300w sizes(max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px />							h2 classtitle>a hrefhttps://willingnesstogrow.com/the-bakery/ relbookmark titlePermanent Link to The Bakery>The Bakery/a>/h2>							div classpostdate>img srchttps://willingnesstogrow.com/wp-content/themes/WP-FreshLook/images/date.png /> June 11th, 2015 img srchttps://willingnesstogrow.com/wp-content/themes/WP-FreshLook/images/user.png /> LeeAnn /div>							div classentry>								p>As many of you know, I am an owner of a Great Harvest bakery. We are approaching our second anniversary this summer./p>p>The bakery is a magical place./p>p>It is the merger of some pretty incredible people, all with their own scars and battle wounds, but each with an incredible presence and grace./p>p>I always refer to the Great Harvest employees as my team members. Growing up in sports, that is about the highest compliment I can give. We are all in it together, trying to succeed./p>p>And the fact that they give so much of themselves to the bakery is a bit overwhelming to me at times. I am so grateful to them./p>p>Our GHB team is by chance almost all women. And we range in age from 21 to in our 60s. We are from different cultures and backgrounds and are different races. We argue, we are moody, we cry and we yell./p>p>And yet we all share one thing … a genuine affection for each other./p>p>Coming from the legal/corporate background, I have always been trained to keep certain boundaries between you and your employees./p>p>Don’t hire friends./p>p>Don’t share too much of your own life./p>p>I followed that advice for the last 20 plus years./p>p>It didn’t work very well for me./p>p>In the bakery, I have decided to follow my heart.  And open my heart./p>p>I don’t keep boundaries. My team members have been through with me my separation, my divorce, dating and all of the ups and downs in between./p>p>They know my insecurities, my failures, my faults, and my strengths./p>p>And I know theirs. And the amount of character and perseverance that these women have shown in their lives is nothing short of miraculous. By sharing our stories, we share our strength with each other./p>p>We have hired friends because they needed us and we needed them./p>p>If you empower people with your heart, the bond created can be incredibly strong./p>p>Do we have bad days (or weeks)? Of course. I don’t think it would be real if there weren’t./p>p>However, I am continuously amazed at the phenomenally strong women on our team and the bond among us. With her permission, I will soon be sharing the story of one of our most beloved and courageous members.  Stay tuned./p>								div classreadmorecontent>									a classreadmore hrefhttps://willingnesstogrow.com/the-bakery/ relbookmark titlePermanent Link to The Bakery>Read More »/a>								/div>							/div>													/div>!--/post-5360-->														div classpost-5341 post type-post status-publish format-standard hentry category-uncategorized idpost-5341>                            							h2 classtitle>a hrefhttps://willingnesstogrow.com/why-i-blog/ relbookmark titlePermanent Link to Why I Blog>Why I Blog/a>/h2>							div classpostdate>img srchttps://willingnesstogrow.com/wp-content/themes/WP-FreshLook/images/date.png /> May 26th, 2015 img srchttps://willingnesstogrow.com/wp-content/themes/WP-FreshLook/images/user.png /> LeeAnn /div>							div classentry>								p>When I posted my last blog entry, which came after a long hiatus, I had a number of people express surprise that I blog. I found myself trying to explain … and not doing so very eloquently./p>p>Which is exactly why I blog (and why I only lasted a few years as a trial lawyer)./p>p>It is much easier for me to express myself with the written word. My success as an attorney was documenting, in writing, multi-million dollar deals for large national and international institutional clients./p>p>As I struggled to find my voice in my personal life, I should have known to turn to writing./p>p>As a fan of healthy living blogs, I realized that there really wasn’t one for my age group. I set up this site and slowly started to write, intending at first for the blog to be focused on healthy living issues for those of us women entering our forties. I focused on recipes, exercise and some relevant social issues. People were kind and encouraging, and I kept moving forward./p>p>And then I wrote a hrefhttp://willingnesstogrow.com/fortytude/>Fortytude/a>. At the time, I used my law firm email address for my contact information. The morning I published that post, I started to drive to the mountains for the weekend. About halfway there, my phone started to buzz constantly. I pulled over as I was certain that del>I was being sued for malpractice/del> there was an emergency at the office./p>p>There was no emergency. My phone buzzing reflected the over 7,000 hits on a hrefhttp://willingnesstogrow.com/fortytude/>Fortytude/a>. The entry had been posted on a national Word Press site called Freshly Pressed.  In addition to being the cause of crashing my firm’s email system, I was hooked on blogging./p>p>As I got more and more confident, the subject of my posts became more varied. I got intensely personal at times, as evidenced in a hrefhttp://willingnesstogrow.com/hello-my-name-is-leeann-and-i-have/>Hello my name is LeeAnn and I have …/a> and a hrefhttp://willingnesstogrow.com/follow-your-heart/>Follow Your Heart/a>./p>p>I wrote often about my family and my pets. See a hrefhttp://willingnesstogrow.com/a-very-timely-ode-to-oprah/>(A Very Timely) Ode to Oprah/a> and a hrefhttp://willingnesstogrow.com/wynonna-is-crying/>Wynonna is Crying/a>./p>p>My humorous posts are some of my favorites. I experienced pure joy writing a hrefhttp://willingnesstogrow.com/random-fun/>Random Fun/a> and a hrefhttp://willingnesstogrow.com/finding-the-humor/>Finding the Humor/a>./p>p>And in the process, I realized that, through writing, I am able to achieve growth and change in my life. It is almost as if it is a way for me to process my thoughts  … a way to hold myself accountable./p>p>And that is why I keep coming back to it./p>								div classreadmorecontent>									a classreadmore hrefhttps://willingnesstogrow.com/why-i-blog/ relbookmark titlePermanent Link to Why I Blog>Read More »/a>								/div>							/div>													/div>!--/post-5341-->														div classpost-5294 post type-post status-publish format-standard hentry category-animals category-family idpost-5294>                            							h2 classtitle>a hrefhttps://willingnesstogrow.com/its-time/ relbookmark titlePermanent Link to It’s Time>It’s Time/a>/h2>							div classpostdate>img srchttps://willingnesstogrow.com/wp-content/themes/WP-FreshLook/images/date.png /> May 11th, 2015 img srchttps://willingnesstogrow.com/wp-content/themes/WP-FreshLook/images/user.png /> LeeAnn /div>							div classentry>								p>Those of you who know me, know the changes that I have initiated in my life during the past several years. This blog was an incredible voice for me during that process. Through intense self inquiry, much of it documented on this blog, I realized that I was not happy. And I was tired of not being happy. I had become numb./p>p>I actively sought to change that … and I did. I separated from my husband of fourteen years, retired from the law after twenty-one years, opened a new business, and moved./p>p>Accomplishing these tasks has dominated my life./p>p>There was another major change. For fourteen years, she was my best friend, my confidant and my constant companion. Gracie was my absolute joy. She was my strength in difficult times./p>p>Gracie left me in April of 2014, at the age of 14./p>p>a hrefhttp://willingnesstogrow.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/IMG_0634.jpg>img classsize-medium wp-image-4770 aligncenter srchttp://willingnesstogrow.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/IMG_0634-300x225.jpg altand, oh so thankfully, this beautiful spirit has continued to grace me with her presence width300 height225 srcsethttps://willingnesstogrow.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/IMG_0634-300x225.jpg 300w, https://willingnesstogrow.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/IMG_0634-1024x768.jpg 1024w sizes(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px />/a>/p>p>It was the change in my life that brought me to my knees. I am still in mourning and suspect I always will be./p>p>Thankfully, I still have these two crazy Maine Coons./p>p>a hrefhttp://willingnesstogrow.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/IMG_0574.jpg>img classsize-medium wp-image-4769 aligncenter srchttp://willingnesstogrow.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/IMG_0574-300x225.jpg altwhile always making me laugh width300 height225 srcsethttps://willingnesstogrow.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/IMG_0574-300x225.jpg 300w, https://willingnesstogrow.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/IMG_0574-1024x768.jpg 1024w sizes(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px />/a>/p>p>And they also miss Gracie./p>p>a hrefhttp://willingnesstogrow.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Baron-and-Gracie.jpg>img classaligncenter size-medium wp-image-5298 srchttp://willingnesstogrow.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Baron-and-Gracie-300x225.jpg altBaron and Gracie width300 height225 srcsethttps://willingnesstogrow.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Baron-and-Gracie-300x225.jpg 300w, https://willingnesstogrow.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Baron-and-Gracie.jpg 960w sizes(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px />/a>/p>p>About six months ago, I brought home a rescue dog for a trial period. The young dog was able to get out of any crate that I put him in – and it was comical at first. Then my vet warned me that I was going to come home to a dead cat, as he was hunting the cats. We sent the sweet dog back to the rescuer, who kept him as her own pet (she has no cats)./p>p>I came very close to getting another English Bulldog puppy several months later. After several sleepless nights and a near panic attack, I decided against it. If your dog needs to gain more weight, you may a hrefhttps://roguepetscience.com/products/dog-weight-gainer-muscle-builder>shop now/a> for effective food supplements./p>p>It has now been over a year since the divorce. a hrefhttps://maryland-lawoffice.com/faq/alimony-faqs/>What disqualifies you from alimony?/a> This question often arises during the settlement process, as various factors can influence the outcome. Understanding these factors is crucial for ensuring fair and just financial arrangements post-divorce. The business has been open for more than eighteen months. I have lived in my new home for a year and my sweet Gracie has been gone for that period of time./p>p>And guess what?/p>p>I think I may have become numb again./p>p>I have been so intensely focused on achieving particular goals – mainly with regard to the business – that I have not spent any time just “being” in my new life. My house is my dream house … but it doesn’t really feel like home./p>p>I have feared getting another dog. I am afraid to give my heart so fully again to one who will likely die before I do. Will I be able to love to the extent that I did before?/p>p>I have (unintentionally) treated this time of my life as transitory. As a time between two phases of my life./p>p>I have decided … it’s time./p>p>Its time to live again. Its time to bring the balance back to my life./p>p>Its time to blog again./p>p>And its time to welcome Dillon home./p>p>a hrefhttp://willingnesstogrow.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Charlie.jpg>img classaligncenter size-medium wp-image-5316 srchttp://willingnesstogrow.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Charlie-300x234.jpg altCharlie width300 height234 srcsethttps://willingnesstogrow.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Charlie-300x234.jpg 300w, https://willingnesstogrow.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Charlie.jpg 530w sizes(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px />/a>/p>								div classreadmorecontent>									a classreadmore hrefhttps://willingnesstogrow.com/its-time/ relbookmark titlePermanent Link to It’s Time>Read More »/a>								/div>							/div>													/div>!--/post-5294-->														div classpost-5196 post type-post status-publish format-standard hentry category-fitness category-nutrition tag-bikram tag-clean idpost-5196>                            							h2 classtitle>a hrefhttps://willingnesstogrow.com/mid-clean/ relbookmark titlePermanent Link to Mid-Clean>Mid-Clean/a>/h2>							div classpostdate>img srchttps://willingnesstogrow.com/wp-content/themes/WP-FreshLook/images/date.png /> January 27th, 2013 img srchttps://willingnesstogrow.com/wp-content/themes/WP-FreshLook/images/user.png /> LeeAnn /div>							div classentry>								p>I am now more than half-way through the four-week Clean program./p>p>How do I feel?/p>p>I feel … wait for it … em>clean/em>./p>p>Honestly, I feel pretty phenomenal./p>p>The biggest changes that I have noticed are (i) my level of energy is extremely high; and (ii) I have a clarity of thought that I don’t always experience.  Both of which together have made me one very productive person in the last few weeks. In the past week, I have started to sleep better as well – longer and more deeply./p>p>At the same time as I am going through Clean, I have embarked on the 60 day challenge in Bikram yoga. For the past several years, I have struggled with an issue in my left leg/hip area and I became determined to remedy it in 2013. On the advice of my chiropractor, I have given up running for 60 days. I also felt that some of the moves in power yoga were aggravating the injury, so I am taking a break from that as well./p>p>So, consider that in addition to being on the cleanse, I am doing 90 minutes of yoga at 105 degrees once a day, and STILL feel full of energy. I expected that I might feel more light-headed at yoga while on the lower caloric intake of the cleanse, but I have not./p>p>As I mentioned in my prior post, we started with one week of the Elimination Diet, and then went into the three-week cleanse portion.  During the three-week period, breakfasts and dinners consist of liquids.  You can eat a full lunch from the Elimination Diet foods./p>p>The cleanse period did take some adjusting. I faced an almost panic the first few nights as to what I was going to del>eat/del> drink. I now have a refrigerator and freezer full of single serving containers of broccoli soup, cauliflower soup and bean soup./p>p>Dinner is now a no-brainer./p>p>Is it satisfying? Eh … the short answer is not always, but I have gotten much more used to it. I really enjoy having a lighter dinner. I remember the days of going to bed on an overly full stomach and feeling miserable. I believe that also affected the quality of my sleep. During Clean, I go to bed (and wake up) feeling lean./p>p>Over the past several weeks, my approach to food has changed. I look at it more as something that fuels my body and will last, as opposed to something that will really taste good. I am much more conscious of getting the variety of fruits, vegetables and proteins that I need./p>p>I have gotten used to more subtle tastes. I think if I ate something like nacho cheese Doritos now, it would overwhelm me. Through the additives and chemicals that manufacturers have added to so many food products, I think we have all gotten used to such intense tastes – and that is not how food is in its natural state (for the most part). I feel like Clean has reset my taste expectations./p>p>What has been the hardest part for me? Probably the weekends. So much of our social life revolves around going out to dinner, which we have not done during Clean. I don’t want to be tempted – and, probably more than anything, I would miss the glass of wine./p>p>I have eaten lunch out several times. We are so fortunate that through the connections of Savannah Power Yoga, several local restaurants are offering Clean items on their menu. This has made lunch meetings possible. I have also gone to lunch at another restaurant in town and asked for a big salad, with no dressing, and a scoop of hummus on top. A little barren looking, but it did the trick in terms of satisfying me and lasting through the afternoon./p>p>My husband has had a harder time, and doesn’t feel quite the benefits that I have felt. But it is not over yet. He very much misses coffee, and also laments not being able to have (chewable) food for dinner./p>p>We will be done with our Clean journey a week from this Wednesday. Oddly enough, I am a bit sad about it coming to an end. And then I remind myself that it doesn’t really have to end./p>p>There are aspects of Clean that I will incorporate permanently into my life./p>p>Protein smoothies are now my breakfast of choice./p>p>I will remain conscious about maintaining a twelve hour window between dinner and breakfast, to aid the digestive and detoxification process./p>p>I enjoy the structure of a larger meal at lunch and a light and easy dinner. I like taking the emphasis off of eating – what we are having, when, how much to make, do we have the ingredients, etc./p>p>After the three-week cleanse period, we are instructed to slowly introduce foods back into our diet, to see how our body reacts to them.  I am very interested to see how this process goes./p>p>I know that there are items that I will leave out of my diet – such as caffeine. For me, much of the morning coffee routine was to hold a cup of something warm. I have found that decaf green tea fills that need in me (in my husband, not so much)./p>p>I also have a feeling that dairy will not make its way back into my diet. Almond milk has become my favorite smoothie additive.  I thought I would miss cheese, but I have not. I have added nutritional yeast to some of my soups, and that has satisfied my desire for a cheese-like taste./p>p>All in all, it has been an extremely informative and positive experience./p>p>I will be doing Clean again./p>p>My husband … probably not./p>p> /p>								div classreadmorecontent>									a classreadmore hrefhttps://willingnesstogrow.com/mid-clean/ relbookmark titlePermanent Link to Mid-Clean>Read More »/a>								/div>							/div>													/div>!--/post-5196-->												div classnavigation>										div classalignleft>a hrefhttps://willingnesstogrow.com/page/2/ >« Older Entries/a>/div>					div classalignright>/div>									/div>								/div>			/div>				div classspan-8 last>		div classsidebar>            div idtopsearch >     		div idsearch>    form methodget idsearchform actionhttps://willingnesstogrow.com/>         input typetext valueSearch             names ids  onblurif (this.value  )  {this.value  Search;}              onfocusif (this.value  Search) {this.value  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