Row, row, row your dream boat

Many years ago, I had a friend who moved to the Hawaiian Islands with the family she was Nanny for.  She lived on the small island of Kauai.  Both parents were home by 4:00 in the afternoon, which left her free to choose which beach she wanted to relax on.

The day came when she discovered rowing teams. 

They raced between the islands  through Shark infested waters.  Her momma, who lived in Maryland, was not pleased, but my friend loved it.  She also got a firm and tight upper body. 

Being one who HATES stationary exercise, I mentioned before that, with the knee injury I’m battling, I CAN use Mary’s rowing machine that she bought at a Flea Market for $20.  I plug into my MP3 player, turn on the fan, close my eyes and dream of rowing with my old friend. Between the Islands. In Shark infested waters.  There’s a nice breeze.

Note to self

• good job
• dream on
• maybe a package of Hormel Turkey Pepperoni will float by.

I Have Something to Say

 Katie on the Rowing Machine

Mary bought a rowing machine from Saint Joe the other day and it is going over very well.  Even I, with my knee injury, can use it. Yippie!!

Yes, I am still nibbling on a couple pieces of

at a time. 

My knee injury has been getting better over time, as I can walk through Wal Mart instead of ride the little driving cart.  I have not replenished the chocolate at my headboard. I sleep better when I take a Reishi Mushroom capsule at night,  but I still dream weird dreams.

note to self

• great news that you can use the rowing machine
• yippie that your knee injury is getting better
• kudos for sleeping better
• liking the weird dreams
• kudos for not replenishing the chocolate and
• only nibbling on the Hormel Turkey Pepperoni

…but there was no mention of Hormel Turkey Pepperoni

I read an interesting article in the May 2010 issue of Yoga Journal about the healing power of yoga and mediation.   

Neuroscientist Sat Bir Khalsa, of Harvard University, has received a grant to study the effects and health benefits of yoga, seeking a cure for what ails America (also seeking it to be insurance reimbursable and as a prescription on a doctor’s pad).  He has practiced yoga for 35 years and is convinced that early practice of yoga, starting as children or teens, prevents disease later in life.

He is currently conducting a study about teens, believing that if 40-50 year olds who struggle with insomnia had started practicing yoga and meditation in their youth, they wouldn’t be suffering sleepless nights.  If people with type 2 diabetes and obesity had learned yoga in high school, their health outcomes might have been different. 

“A recent study at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle found that people who practiced yoga were more likely to eat mindfully—that is, to be aware of why they ate and to stop eating when full.  In fact, the increased body awareness learned through yoga had a greater effect on the participants’ weight than did the exercise aspect of the exercise.”

Khalsa did a 12-week study with high schoolers, offering yoga in place of regular P.E., with the regular PE class being the control group.  One of the things they taught along with the postures was “witness consciousness”, or nonjudgmental awareness, and encouraged bringing the mind back to the present.  The Yoga group reported less anger, less fatigue and more resilience than the control group.  They used the yoga strategies to combat stress.  They used the breathing patterns to go to sleep, used them on the athletic field (but not to sleep on the athletic field) and before a test.

Yoga beat gym class when it came to staying fit and beating stress, Khalsa notes.  “As yoga focuses on the integration of breathing, the development of mindfulness, and concentration, it far exceeds regular exercise as a full experience and a way to reduce the stress response.  The effect is immediate, and the capacity to generate the feeling of relaxation on a regular basis increases after weeks and months of practice.  That can’t help but benefit us as we face the challenges and health conditions that crop up in later years.”

Note to self

• He mentions nothing of the benefit of Hormel Turkey Pepperoni on the mind and body. I must contact him.
• Kudos for getting into Yoga.
• Follow the advice of bringing the mind back to the present when it wanders to places it really doesn’t need to be going.
• Yippie, this will help me become more body aware when eating.  Excellent.
• You could berate yourself for not doing it regularly over the past 12 years when you quit teaching aerobics due to sports injuries.
• Don’t.  Bring your mind to the present.

I want to dance

Have you considered dancing for exercise?  Just turn on the music and dance like no one is watching?

I think I shall find a dance partner

Blue Footed Boobys

My internet access is down

 I live in a high lighting strike area and it did us in despite having a surge protector plugged into a grounded outlet. 
Was I supposed to have the computer and phone line plugged into it?
 Just kidding.
no posts until I get things fixed.  I know you are terribly disappointed. so sorry.

Easing up on the Grinchly Grouch

Bright, sunny days are great for relieving my grinchly grouch that has taken over. 

I am planting seeds and transplanting the ones that are getting too big for their britches.  All the while soaking up some sun.  Forgetting the Sun block tho. Darnit, Garnet!

This is what makes me happy

Square foot garden full of Sugar Snap Peas growing, some Romaine Lettuce and Kale.  The Lettuce and Kale are absolutely wonderful!  They, um, don’t make it into the house, (urp) but I don’t mind so much not sharing my greens.

 Kale

 

Transplanted cucumbers and melons because they were too big for their britches!  I have  Dragon’s Egg cucumbers, Poona Keeras (Indian Cucumber) Space Saver Cucumbers, and Armenian Cucumbers.  I have Ginger’s Pride Cantaloupes.  My French ones didn’t make it. Have to re-plant.

Tomato seedlings!!  What you see are Big Rainbow, Black Cherry tomatoes and Tomatillos.  I also have Lemon Boy tomatoes, Mr. Stripey tomatoes, a couple of pink tomatoes, one red tomato plant and 3 types of grape tomato. 

This also makes me happy

Today, I think I shall do Yoga with Rodney Yee and weights for legs and back. Definitely abs.

I am starting to learn about bee keeping.  I am concerned with the pollination of my gardens and interested in honey production. We’ll see where it goes.

I am having Missionaries for dinner tonight so I will serve up some Italian beef, I think, and… something.  We’ll see.

Note to self

• Kudos for less-grouching the grinch
• Kudos for eating your greens, even if it is while in the garden.
• Kudos for planting
• Kudos for the yoga and weights
• enjoy the Missionaries
• watch the fudge

Still Grouchy, so Bear With Me

I have decided that I must be horribly missed by now, so I will tell you what I’m going to do today.  I’m going to make fudge. 

And then I’m going to engage in some Yoga with Rodney Yee  

and some weights. I don’t feel like typing about that because I’m grouchy (pms week, sorry).

Then I’ll eat a small piece of fudge.  I’ll probably go back for another piece 6 seconds later, so I’ll just say I’ll eat 2 pieces of fudge.

I have to replenish the Hormel Turkey Pepperoni.

Note to self

• Kudos for writing again, grouchy or not.
• Kudos for doing Yoga today
• Be sane about the fudge.  It is PMS week
• I think Red Neck Roy misses you.
• Take care of the knee

still too grouchy

Sorry, I am still too grouchy to post anything about my eating, exercising or my love for Hormel Turkey Pepperoni. You have to go to my other blogs to find out what's going on in my life.

I know better

I know better than to do it.  I know better.  I walked hard on a beautiful day and I have been laid up ever since.  My left knee is just hollering at me. *;-.(  I have to wear a knee brace , an ankle brace, ice pack, hot pack, rest, and living on Motrin.  I can still do non- knee- related weights. 

Eating more than my normal 2 slices of Hormel Turkey pepperoni.  I'm eating 5 slices a day.

March

This month's Reader's Digest has a small article in the Health section on Lose That Pain in the Neck.  I suffer from that so I am doing the recommended exercises. (I was doing some of them anyway, but not all) Since it is from the March issue, it is not available for listing, if at all.  Their recommendations are*
*dislcaimer--tho I have many years training and experience in this area, I am not a liscenced personal trainer.  I am doing these exercises for myself.  If you choose to do these exercises, it is at your own risk and responsibility.

• Shrugs--stand with 15-25 pound weight in each  hand, arms at sides. Lift shoulders up toward ears and lower slowly. (personally, I don't advise starting out with such heavy weights on any of these exercises.  For beginners, I would say, soup cans or water bottles filled with....well, water, or sand).

• One Arm Row. With right knee on bench, lean on right hand. Slowly raise left elbow to bring 12-to-20 pound weight to chest level; lower slowly. Switch sides. (see below)

• 
  
  Upright Row.  With a 4-to-10 pound weight in each hand, raise weights to middle of chest, keeping them close to body.   Lower slowly. (see below) 

• 
  
  Reverse Fly.  With 2-to-5 pound weight in each hand, bend forward to a 45-degree angle. Elbows slightly bent, lift weights to shoulder height; lower slowly.   (see below)

• 
  
  Shoulder Abduction. With 5-to 8-pound weight in each hand and elbows sightly bent, lift weights until arms are parallel to floor.  Lower slowly. (right)

This is what I'm going to do today along with pectorals, arms and abs.  I think I shall walk on the road, dodging Red Neck Roy, if I can.

I liked this site:

Reader's Digest Weight Loss and Exercise Tips

I've discovered that I already eat close to the suggested  Mediterranean diet.  I'm living in the wrong Hemisphere, that's my issue!!!

Today, for breakfast I had a bowl of Honey Nut Cheerios with blueberries, covered with Almond Milk.  And 2 slices of my beloved Hormel Turkey Pepperoni.  (I had almost run out!!!)

Note to self

• 
  
  Kudos for finding the articles and exploring the internet on your incredibly slow dial-up.  It is now after 11 am!!! 
• 
  
  Kudos for doing the exercies for shoulder and "Trap". 
• 
  
  Kudos for maintaining a sane, responsible relationship is your Turkey Pepperoni.

Sorry, been busy

Sorry, I have not been posting about my healthier me.  A friend asked me to be an author on a homeschooling blog and I have been busy writing posts for the archives, leaving my others to neglect.  The blog officially goes public on Monday, March 1.

It is the end of February and it is hard to be witty about anything, especially working out, so I just go back and look at my walk post-- Welcome to My Walk.  I'm even ignoring my Hormel Turkey Pepeproni, letting Buddy eat it all. (gasp)

I think, in order to regain my humor today, a bit of yoga is called for

and watch my son, Patrick, play with his food,

                              his plate,

And Harvey's evil twin Hare-Old

Note to self

• Re-establish your relationship with your Turkey Pepperoni before Buddy eats it all
• Get back to your blogs outside of homeschool blog.
• Winter will be over someday, but right now we're not so sure.
• Find laughter in winter where you can.  It's good for your health.

Welcome to my Walk

Welcome to my walk today.  I grabbed Insatiable son on this lovely day and set out with the camera.  Since the horses had seen us before, they didnt' have need to watch us today as we watched them.














The Fire Department sign bit the dust.

The Arkansas River on a winter's day.

An old Baltimore Oriole Nest.  The Black and Orange birds build sack-like nests.  They usually arrive in the area on April 16.  We watch and wait for their beautiful song.  Isn't the sky a lovely blue today?

An old, familiar song comes to mind...

That is my dog, Blackberry in the background.  He likes to escort us down the road.

We get some powerful storms out here in the summer.

The real treat is the Eagle Nest.  It is the taller, darker spot above the tree line. Sometimes you can see the momma and daddy Eagle on a branch. Sometimes you see a head sticking up above the nest.  Is kinda cool.  We walked further than we normally would go to get this foto.  Believe me, my heel was talking to me.

(gasp) I should have had a V-8!! I wondered why my world was going topsy turvey! 

Amos, the Beagle likes to come along too.

And just in case you can't quite make it home, there is outdoor plumbing here in Toad Suck Arkansas.

I have found a wonderful link for good food and tips.  Hungry Girl. Com

I am going to try the breakfast recipe but without the cheese. My gang is milk allergic. She even does a review of Hormel Turkey Pepperoni! Must be a good site

Would you believe I actually ran out of Hormel Turkey Pepperoni a couple of days ago!!  I bought 2 more packages when I finally made it to the store and was so traumatized, I forgot to use my coupon!!

Notes to Self

• 
  
  Enjoy the view during your walks
• 
  
  Don't run out of Turkey Pepperoni
• 
  
  Ditch the upgraded version of Blogger.  It's slower, drives you insane by leaving big spaces and doing whatever it feels like after you've edited.

"Use the energy it takes to pout and write some blues"

I am still looking for the rainbow amongst these clouds...searching, searching.....maybe it's time for me to stop being a big baby cuz everyone has their challanges, just in different ways. "Use the energy it takes to pout and write some blues."

--unbeknownst to me who said it.

"Mic in position? Sunglasses, please, boogie-woogie background boys...

...duh, duh-duh, duh-duh, duh-duh..

ready?...let's go.....

..duh, duh-duh, duh-duh, duh-duh......

I got some blues, baby....yeah, I got some blues....

I got some sad things baby....sad to make you blue....

but I got some life! (brass blast), got my dog! (blast)

and.... not eatin' like a hog...

here in Hog Country, baby...

Never been to Pig Out, baby....

Or to Toad Suck Daze..

That rain just makes me too blue, baby...

Too blue for you....

But I got Soo-weee! (blast)...Blue Soo-wee (blast)

Oh, Sweet Blue-wee...

only just for you, baby...

Thank you, thank you, to all my friends (both of them) who tolerate and encourage my Inner Rubber Chicken.

Now, time to take the sunglasses off and talk about taking my body back. After that, this is going to seem really boring. I liked the sunglasses better, that was more fun.....(putting them back on).

I got some Kudos, baby, kudos to those who take the time to calorie count and write down everything they eat. Lists such as that stress me out, baby, stress me out and give me the blues. At the moment, I am just striving for sanity and portion control.



I am not a donut eater, baby, nor a cake eater, too. I don't do ice cream much, either, baby....not tater chip eater--oooo (I don't dare to keep chips around). These are once in a great while things. For me, it's Pop Secret Homestyle Micorwave popcorn--the entire bag, all the way--at night, when I got the blues, and can't write a word. We grew up on popcorn in our home, and any true Haste can eat an entire HUGE bowl of hot, heavily buttered popcorn, popped in oil, all by themselves. If you can't do it, you are not one of us. You have to earn your sunglasses.


Portion control is my issue. And so is Hormel Turkey Pepperoni (a true sunglasses food, worthy of any blues-writer and singer).
And getting back into regular exercise that I can enjoy. Can't do what I love anymore (except write the blues).

Really enjoyed circuit training work out a-la Jillian Michaels style, baby...


(but without the potty mouth, baby...who needs that nasty talk?). It was 5 minutes aerobics, (blast) then 5 minutes of legs and back with weights and tubes and bands, (blast) then some abs, then repeating the cycle 2 more times, baby. I went to bed at 7:00 that night. Just too tired for the blues. I LIKE that workout too much.... legs.... back.... abs....(sigh) For this workout, the music I am using is 2 Unlimited (remember them?) Hits Unlimited. (5 sunglasses music)


Their music was popular on Aerobic Music tapes and CDs in the 90's. Unfortunately I left all my real aerobic music behind in Baltimore at my in-laws home.


Today, Saturday, I will prolly do Yoga with Rodney Yee. Weights will be pecs, delts, arms and abs.


For breakfast I had a few blueberries while deciding what to eat (not turkey pepperoni today) then decided on a small leftover portion of barbequed boneless chicken breast. Grazed on some chocolate nut antioxidant which for some unfortunate reason is STILL next to the computer!! I have to move it back to the bedroom where I won't eat it.

Note to self

• Kudos for getting a handle on your popcorn, baby.
• and not adding butter,too.
• Kudos for striving for portion control, baby, no deprivation for you.
• Kudos again for liking circuit training (blast).
• Move the chocolate nut anitoxidant (blast)
• Remember, when you got the blues, write some blues....
• 

  Briefcase Full of Blues