Those Little Puckers !

I have spent this past week visiting my parents at their home in an 55+ adult community in the sunny south. It has been a week of catching up on family news, sharing of memories and reconnecting. It has also been the week in which I exposed my legs, arms and face to the sunshine after many months of being covered in layers of clothing. My very pale skin was responsible for blinding many a person as I walked down the streets wearing shorts and short sleeved tops.


The first day I put on my shorts I noticed that something was wrong with my legs, specifically my thighs. I have these little puckery pockets all over my thighs! They resemble cottage cheese and they jiggle as I walk. These cottage cheese puckers weren't there when I covered my thighs up for the long months of winter. I can't even imagine what these puckers looked like as I ran around on the tennis court attempting to hit the tennis ball this past week. Cottage cheese puckers in motion - gross. How did this happen? I began to reflect on life during the past cold winter months which seemed to last forever this year.


Okay, so maybe I became rather sluglike in the cold winter months. I had to make a choice - cuddle up in front of the fire with my husband or put on my gym clothes, get in the freezing cold car, drive on slippery roads to the gym and get on the treadmill and sweat. I chose the cuddling every time. I also have a fantastically comfy chair and a half in which I love to curl up, covered with a blanket and then I read the night away. I often have a mug of hot cocoa with a little shot of butterscotch schnapps or a mug of hot buttered rum. Heavenly. I also cook a lot of comfort foods in the winter. We don't eat too many salads in the winter months but lots of chowders or chili served with slabs of cornbread. And don't forget the holidays. From Halloween to Thanksgiving to Christmas... I eat my way from one holiday to the next. Delicious!



Then there was my birthday celebration. I decided that I wanted to have banana splits as my birthday dinner. Scoops of ice cream, caramel sauce, whipped cream, sprinkles and yes, there was a banana on the bottom of it all. Did I mention the scrumptious cake that my sister bought for my birthday - sinfully yummy chocolate raspberry truffle with the most incredible frosting - excuse me for a minute, I am drooling as I write about it.



Okay, maybe I do know where my cottage cheese thigh puckers came from. Now I must deal with them because they are making me gag every time I look down. I have stepped up my level of exercise. I am being a more mindful eater - smaller portions and healthier choices. I will take control of my thighs and I will defeat these little puckers. So if you see me running down the road, as I prepare to run a half marathon this autumn, just keep your eyes on the road - and avoid the puckers! And once I conquer this battle, I will take on the chicken flaps!