Today I ventured out in brand new walking shoes!
(For those who care about my health -- it's weird that I have bronchitis, but I don't feel sick (I did the first few days last week), just not quite 100%. So I have been doing some walking. And shopping. :) )
Anyway, the shoes are wonderful. My hip didn't hurt! (arthritis/bursistis thing there). My heel didn't hurt! (old bone spur thingy) My big toe didn't hurt! (it's kinda crooked). I felt like I was walking on air. It was a beautiful fall morning and I enjoyed the warm sun on my face and chatting with a couple of neighbors.
Now, I hated giving up those old shoes. I held on to them way longer than I should have, because I loved them too. I've heard one should get new ones every year, so I was about 6 months overdue. With all the walking I do, and if you count the miles on the elliptical at the gym, those suckers could have 800 or even 1000 miles on them! I have no idea what the "life" of a walking shoe is supposed to be, but I think I exceeded it. But they wore out so gradually that at first I didn't notice that they weren't really supporting my feet (and knees and hips) anymore. So I am proud of myself that I was able to give them up (well not entirely. they will become my yard shoes) and attached myself so quickly to a new pair.
The new ones are so wonderful they feel like magic shoes for sure! I hate to take them off.
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Magic Places
Tomorrow I leave on a two week journey, first to the Alsace-Lorraine area of France for a week, and then to Prague for five days. Some of the pictures I've seen depict areas that are quite quaint and beautiful. I am excited to be going. I LOVE me some French food, especially the wine! We will be introduced to French beer (who knew?) -- the A-L area is where most of France's beer is produced. It will be interesting to learn what the Czech's eat and drink. :)
The ensuing food binge aside, I am also looking forward to sharing time with my hubby, sisters, and one brother-in-law, and several friends that I have traveled with before. I expect to have fun no matter where we are or what we're doing! Ok, the overnight flight to Paris in coach will be a pain, literally, but then we get to ride on a high speed train to Strasbourg (the one in France, not Germany). We will spend one night in Strasbourg, so will have one morning to see some sights there before we head off to the river barge.
So I bid "au revoir" to good ol' HOT Aiken, and head for the hills of France!
The ensuing food binge aside, I am also looking forward to sharing time with my hubby, sisters, and one brother-in-law, and several friends that I have traveled with before. I expect to have fun no matter where we are or what we're doing! Ok, the overnight flight to Paris in coach will be a pain, literally, but then we get to ride on a high speed train to Strasbourg (the one in France, not Germany). We will spend one night in Strasbourg, so will have one morning to see some sights there before we head off to the river barge.
So I bid "au revoir" to good ol' HOT Aiken, and head for the hills of France!
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Magic Doors (Please!)
"When one door closes, another one opens". This saying implies that the new door that opens leads to something much better -- better job, life, health, whatever.
In some ways I believe this is true. Sometimes the better thing isn't realized for a while. For instance: Gus & I lived in nothern Virginia, and we both worked for the same company and loved it. We both got laid off at the same time. Yikes! Very bad! Slam! But the seeming catastrophe eventually led us to Charlotte, NC, a place we enjoyed living, and ultimately led us (through neighbors who came here) to our wonderful retirement community in Aiken, SC. If that door hadn't closed back then, I wonder where we would be now. Perhaps it was our karma to be here, and we would have found our way here anyway. Who knows.
I've been thinking about this because both of my children are currently undergoing change in their lives. Doors are closing, and the new doors haven't opened yet. This causes a lot of stress and worry for both of them, and of course for their parents. I would like to create a "magic door" for each of them to enter that would solve all their problems and lead them to a wonderful life. I wish! Since I can't do that, I will mentally send a little "magic" their way, and hope for the best (and TRY not to worry too much!).
There's a game show on TV (well, there used to be one) which at the end has a contestant pick Door #1, 2 or 3, behind which there were prizes of varying values. I remember once there was a goat behind one of the doors.
For both of my children (spouses included!) I sincerely wish for a wonderful, good, magic door to open. No goats, please!
In some ways I believe this is true. Sometimes the better thing isn't realized for a while. For instance: Gus & I lived in nothern Virginia, and we both worked for the same company and loved it. We both got laid off at the same time. Yikes! Very bad! Slam! But the seeming catastrophe eventually led us to Charlotte, NC, a place we enjoyed living, and ultimately led us (through neighbors who came here) to our wonderful retirement community in Aiken, SC. If that door hadn't closed back then, I wonder where we would be now. Perhaps it was our karma to be here, and we would have found our way here anyway. Who knows.
I've been thinking about this because both of my children are currently undergoing change in their lives. Doors are closing, and the new doors haven't opened yet. This causes a lot of stress and worry for both of them, and of course for their parents. I would like to create a "magic door" for each of them to enter that would solve all their problems and lead them to a wonderful life. I wish! Since I can't do that, I will mentally send a little "magic" their way, and hope for the best (and TRY not to worry too much!).
There's a game show on TV (well, there used to be one) which at the end has a contestant pick Door #1, 2 or 3, behind which there were prizes of varying values. I remember once there was a goat behind one of the doors.
For both of my children (spouses included!) I sincerely wish for a wonderful, good, magic door to open. No goats, please!
Sunday, May 30, 2010
The Magic Bell
On a recent walk I was passed by a man on a bicycle. I waved and said "Good Morning!' . Rather than reply, he rang the bell perched on his handlebars. It had a nice cheerful "Briing-ring-ring" sound. That got me to thinking about bicycle bells I had as a child. I remember having a bright, shiny, new one (on my used, refurbished bike) and having fun ringing it, just for the fun of ringing it. At time passed the bell eventually rusted out (our bikes were stored on the side porch, out of the weather, but not the humidity!) and the lever was hard to pull. When I could manage to pull it, the bell gave out a sort of "Bri-unk!" sound. Not pleasing at all.
Then I got to thinking about all the bells, whistles, chimes and chirps we hear today in comparison with the relatively few we heard back then.
Then: bicycle bell, school bell, doorbell, life-guard whistle, gym teacher whistle, telephone.
Now: All of those, plus elevator doors, train doors, trucks backing up, cell phones, wind chimes, digital clocks. I'm sure there are lots more. Our lives are much noisier than they used to be!
But I will always remember that shiny new bicycle bell!
Then I got to thinking about all the bells, whistles, chimes and chirps we hear today in comparison with the relatively few we heard back then.
Then: bicycle bell, school bell, doorbell, life-guard whistle, gym teacher whistle, telephone.
Now: All of those, plus elevator doors, train doors, trucks backing up, cell phones, wind chimes, digital clocks. I'm sure there are lots more. Our lives are much noisier than they used to be!
But I will always remember that shiny new bicycle bell!
Saturday, May 15, 2010
The Magic of Home
Today as I walked (4 miles!) in my development, I enjoyed, as I always do, the beauty of the sights and sounds around me. As I walked and breathed in the smells of the blooming jasmine and sun-baked pine straw, and listened to the raucus cries of the bluejays and the other more cheerful birdsong, and the bullfrongs croaking in the pond, and watched from a distance a cat carrying a kitten in it's mouth, I felt comfortable and at home. I had time to ponder why I felt that way, and realized that most likely it was because these were the sights and sounds I expericenced (but didn't appreciate then) as a child.
As most of those who will read this already know, I grew up "just up the road" from Aiken in Florence, S. C. . Like Aiken, Florence was gorgeous in the spring -- they even had a driving "Beauty Trail" that took you through streets where the most beautiful gardens were! So, as you can see, I grew up with beautiful and bountiful growing things. The sounds of blue jays and doves awakened me on summer mornings, when the humidity was so high the bedsheets were slightly damp -- this in the days before air conditioning. Thanks goodness I don't have to suffer that now! My walk recalled to me memories almost too many to mention, but here are a few -- see if you can identify:
-- Bare feet and sunsuits
-- Eating ripe figs, just picked (with blue jays protesting loudly) from the fig tree outside the back door.
-- Eating homemade popsicles that melted and ran down your arms and got you all sticky.
-- Easter Sunday with new dotted swiss dresses and patent leather shoes.
-- Catching lightning bugs on summer nights (I don't see them much anymore. Wonder why...)
-- My grandmother watering the azaleas with the hose, at night.
-- Drinking from the hose, the first taste sort of stale and hot.
-- Crossing an asphalt street barefooted on a hot summer day - tiptoe! hurry!
-- Walking downtown to the movies with 15 cents on Saturday mornings. That got you into the movie with a nickel left for candy.
-- Walking to the swimming pool at the park and stopping at Aunt Tee's house on the way back for cookies. Or, if we were lucky enough to have a few pennies, stopping at the general store for penny candy. You could buy just one piece, then. Though a penny often got you two!
-- Walking to the library and feeling so grown up to choose and check out books.
-- Mother worrying about her Sesanquas (camellias) and Crape Myrtles and azaleas.
-- Waking up to the sound of the farmers in their horse-drawn wagons rolling down the street crying their wares: Butter beans! Blueberries! Blackberries! String Beans! Roastin' Ears! (that's corn, do anyone who may not know. :) )
Isn't it amazing that one short walk and few sounds and smells can evoke all that! I have to say that I enjoyed my stroll this morning, along with my stroll down memory lane.
As most of those who will read this already know, I grew up "just up the road" from Aiken in Florence, S. C. . Like Aiken, Florence was gorgeous in the spring -- they even had a driving "Beauty Trail" that took you through streets where the most beautiful gardens were! So, as you can see, I grew up with beautiful and bountiful growing things. The sounds of blue jays and doves awakened me on summer mornings, when the humidity was so high the bedsheets were slightly damp -- this in the days before air conditioning. Thanks goodness I don't have to suffer that now! My walk recalled to me memories almost too many to mention, but here are a few -- see if you can identify:
-- Bare feet and sunsuits
-- Eating ripe figs, just picked (with blue jays protesting loudly) from the fig tree outside the back door.
-- Eating homemade popsicles that melted and ran down your arms and got you all sticky.
-- Easter Sunday with new dotted swiss dresses and patent leather shoes.
-- Catching lightning bugs on summer nights (I don't see them much anymore. Wonder why...)
-- My grandmother watering the azaleas with the hose, at night.
-- Drinking from the hose, the first taste sort of stale and hot.
-- Crossing an asphalt street barefooted on a hot summer day - tiptoe! hurry!
-- Walking downtown to the movies with 15 cents on Saturday mornings. That got you into the movie with a nickel left for candy.
-- Walking to the swimming pool at the park and stopping at Aunt Tee's house on the way back for cookies. Or, if we were lucky enough to have a few pennies, stopping at the general store for penny candy. You could buy just one piece, then. Though a penny often got you two!
-- Walking to the library and feeling so grown up to choose and check out books.
-- Mother worrying about her Sesanquas (camellias) and Crape Myrtles and azaleas.
-- Waking up to the sound of the farmers in their horse-drawn wagons rolling down the street crying their wares: Butter beans! Blueberries! Blackberries! String Beans! Roastin' Ears! (that's corn, do anyone who may not know. :) )
Isn't it amazing that one short walk and few sounds and smells can evoke all that! I have to say that I enjoyed my stroll this morning, along with my stroll down memory lane.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Plateaus and Challenges
Spring is a time of new beginnings -- we all get the urge to clean out closets, spruce up the yard, etc. -- so it's a good time for personal beginnings also. This past month I reached a plateau in my weight loss program, with only a few pounds to go to reach my goal. For a few weeks my whole body felt out of balance. I wasn't ill, just not "quite right". I finally mentioned my lack of weight loss to my nutritionist, who suggested tweaking my exercise, mostly by increasing the time I spend. I think she forgot that I told her I exercise 8-10 hours a week as it is! What to do? I decided that perhaps a slight increase in intensity would help. Yesterday instead of 45 minutes on the treadmill, I did 30 minutes, then 30 more in the cross-trainer, which is definitely a higher intensity. Most of the time on the cardio machines I don't select a "program", but just go in manual mode letting my joints and music from my I-pod quide me. Today on the elliptical, I chose "aerobics mode". Oh MY! Within 10 minutes I was breathing hard, and at 20 minutes I was in a full sweat (it usually takes at least 30 for me to get there), and at 30 I wasn't sure I could get to the end (45 min). I stuck it out and barely finished. Guess I'm not in as good shape as I thought! Whew! I'll keep this up for a bit and see how I do. So far my joints aren't complaining and the scales moved a tiny bit.
I also have felt recently that I have reached another plateau, this one with my music. I complained to my teacher that I keep learning different pieces, but I don't feel that I'm advancing in any way. She assured me that I am way better than I was four years ago (hard to believe it has been that long!), but I want to look forward to where I CAN be, not where I WAS! On to a new challenge! I rummaged through my music and found an exercise book from long ago that has exercises for the "virtuoso pianst". Ha! My teacher agreed that perhaps working on these would be helpful. Um, who is the teacher here? She also tasked me with looking at other music and listening to pieces and to come back in two weeks (no lesson during Spring Break) with some ideas about what I want to learn. To date, I have pretty much let her choose the pieces, (with a few exceptions) since she is the expert and that's what I'm paying her for, right? But this will be a challenge for me, but I'm going to give it a shot.
Stay tuned for updates on how I progress!
I also have felt recently that I have reached another plateau, this one with my music. I complained to my teacher that I keep learning different pieces, but I don't feel that I'm advancing in any way. She assured me that I am way better than I was four years ago (hard to believe it has been that long!), but I want to look forward to where I CAN be, not where I WAS! On to a new challenge! I rummaged through my music and found an exercise book from long ago that has exercises for the "virtuoso pianst". Ha! My teacher agreed that perhaps working on these would be helpful. Um, who is the teacher here? She also tasked me with looking at other music and listening to pieces and to come back in two weeks (no lesson during Spring Break) with some ideas about what I want to learn. To date, I have pretty much let her choose the pieces, (with a few exceptions) since she is the expert and that's what I'm paying her for, right? But this will be a challenge for me, but I'm going to give it a shot.
Stay tuned for updates on how I progress!
Friday, March 19, 2010
Magic Genes? (or not)
Today I was reduced to tears by a post on my daughter's blog. It gave me an insight into my daughter that I can't say that I never knew about, as I did know about some of it, and suspected a lot of it. As a mom, I wonder if there was something I could have done to make it easier for her: I often wonder that about both my children, you know, are there things I could have done, said, etc. to prepare them better for life? I guess mom's always want to spare their children pain, and wish they had done a better job of parenting. Or maybe it's just me.
And, I wonder if my problems with MY self-image were somehow passed on to my daughter, whether genetically or by my actions.
I thought I would share where I am coming from, and why I think I may have had something to do with her lack of a good self-image. When I was about 8, I got fat. I was never obese, but was what my mother smilingly called (and oh, how I hated it!) "pleasantly plump". When I wore shorts, they would ride up between my legs because my thighs rubbed together (you've all see the fat kids that looked like this, haven't you?). My classmates teased me unmercifully: "Fatty, fatty 2 by 4, can't get through the bathroom door, so she did it on the floor!" Ever heard that one? I did. Alot. I was already kind of shy, and so I retreated from making friends. (Fortunately, I did have one best friend - oddly, she was the tall, skinny misfit). My mother sent me to Girl Scout camp (I was a Brownie) when I was 8 or 9, hoping I guess that I would get some exercise, make new friends, etc. My mother was a single mom with 3 daughers, so I am sure this was a stretch for her on her teacher's salary. I had only one set of "Brownie" shorts and t-shirt. All the girls in my cabin had a set for every day of the week, and remarked to me 'You only have ONE?!?". I wanted to crawl under my cot. At swimming they had a buddy system - everyone had to have a partner to swim with. The counselers had to ASSIGN me a buddy every day. Nobody wanted to buddy with the shy fat kid. I was SO glad when that week was over! Same thing happened at school in PE with softball, basketball, or whatever -- always chosen last, and grudingly. Somewhere around 7th grade, I think, my mom insisted that I join the basketball team. I sat on the bench for every game. Once they put me in at the end, when the game was won.
Even though I slimmed down when I got my growing spurt, I was still heavier than my friends, and always, always, thought of myself as fat. Even though I ended up with a wonderful husband, two great children, and in my 40's began a challenging career, inside I was always the shy fat kid. To some degree I still am. I have struggled to overcome the shyness -- I sometimes have to force myself to connect with people - and most of my friends now don't see me that way. But it was hard. I have always struggled with my weight. At one point in my 50's I was actually obese, tipping the scales at 208! Now, finally, I am 78 pounds lighter (after some yoyo-ing), but still struggling, and still thinking of myself as, if not fat, still too heavy. Just 5 more pounds! Please? But I have declared this my last diet! Geez, I'm old enough, don't you think? From now on I will eat right, and exercise, and maintain a healthy weight, and not obsess about it. I hope....
So did I pass this self-image thing on to my daughter? Did she pick up on my agaonizing in front of the mirror over the years, and internalize it? If I did contribute to her problems, then I apologize, profusely. Perhaps it was just her karma, and the fact that she got her dad's tall genes instead my short ones. One difference is that she was always tall, slim, and beautiful, but just didn't see herself that way. I actually WAS fat, in between the slimmer times. But now I am just glad to see her happy and if not "over it", much better than before. I think her "Candyman" has a lot to do with that! My hat is off to my strong, beautiful daughter!
And, I wonder if my problems with MY self-image were somehow passed on to my daughter, whether genetically or by my actions.
I thought I would share where I am coming from, and why I think I may have had something to do with her lack of a good self-image. When I was about 8, I got fat. I was never obese, but was what my mother smilingly called (and oh, how I hated it!) "pleasantly plump". When I wore shorts, they would ride up between my legs because my thighs rubbed together (you've all see the fat kids that looked like this, haven't you?). My classmates teased me unmercifully: "Fatty, fatty 2 by 4, can't get through the bathroom door, so she did it on the floor!" Ever heard that one? I did. Alot. I was already kind of shy, and so I retreated from making friends. (Fortunately, I did have one best friend - oddly, she was the tall, skinny misfit). My mother sent me to Girl Scout camp (I was a Brownie) when I was 8 or 9, hoping I guess that I would get some exercise, make new friends, etc. My mother was a single mom with 3 daughers, so I am sure this was a stretch for her on her teacher's salary. I had only one set of "Brownie" shorts and t-shirt. All the girls in my cabin had a set for every day of the week, and remarked to me 'You only have ONE?!?". I wanted to crawl under my cot. At swimming they had a buddy system - everyone had to have a partner to swim with. The counselers had to ASSIGN me a buddy every day. Nobody wanted to buddy with the shy fat kid. I was SO glad when that week was over! Same thing happened at school in PE with softball, basketball, or whatever -- always chosen last, and grudingly. Somewhere around 7th grade, I think, my mom insisted that I join the basketball team. I sat on the bench for every game. Once they put me in at the end, when the game was won.
Even though I slimmed down when I got my growing spurt, I was still heavier than my friends, and always, always, thought of myself as fat. Even though I ended up with a wonderful husband, two great children, and in my 40's began a challenging career, inside I was always the shy fat kid. To some degree I still am. I have struggled to overcome the shyness -- I sometimes have to force myself to connect with people - and most of my friends now don't see me that way. But it was hard. I have always struggled with my weight. At one point in my 50's I was actually obese, tipping the scales at 208! Now, finally, I am 78 pounds lighter (after some yoyo-ing), but still struggling, and still thinking of myself as, if not fat, still too heavy. Just 5 more pounds! Please? But I have declared this my last diet! Geez, I'm old enough, don't you think? From now on I will eat right, and exercise, and maintain a healthy weight, and not obsess about it. I hope....
So did I pass this self-image thing on to my daughter? Did she pick up on my agaonizing in front of the mirror over the years, and internalize it? If I did contribute to her problems, then I apologize, profusely. Perhaps it was just her karma, and the fact that she got her dad's tall genes instead my short ones. One difference is that she was always tall, slim, and beautiful, but just didn't see herself that way. I actually WAS fat, in between the slimmer times. But now I am just glad to see her happy and if not "over it", much better than before. I think her "Candyman" has a lot to do with that! My hat is off to my strong, beautiful daughter!
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