Reconnecting with my spirit, I move gracefully into the future, dusting off a myriad of dreams too long forgotten.
So many things I always planned to do "someday". If "someday" isn't now, then when?

25 September 2010

I'm in LOVE with Orson Wells

Orson Wells was the speaker on "Mercury Theatre on the Air". What a voice!

I just finished listening to Rebecca (December 9, 1938). I just love old movies, black & white movies, old clothing, old speak, such a simple life then. The time is heavy with romance, deep sighs and intense feelings. 

So few words were necessary back then, so much drama... I can imagine their faces, their clothing, the countryside... the big old dark homes, so much wood and windows, so much land and trees...  so many gardens... 


We have been watered down, everything is about sex, having sex, looking sexy, smelling sexy, thinking sexy...  in the old days there was so much time, and having a partner meant so much more, they were a team. 

I love being pulled back in time, when your suitor in a top hat arrived in his horse & buggy and came calling. So much romance!


Tune into Mercury Theatre and get your dose of nostalgia.

20 September 2010

This is not always fun!

So the honeymoon period is wearing off on occasion . . . biking and walking everywhere is not so easy on some days. I do get tired, all I can do is keep thinking that this is good for me and I'm burning calories and getting stronger.

Exactly why there can't be a car. I have outsmarted my reluctance to exercise, and have forced myself to do same. Getting to work, the drugstore or running errands, I need to move my body and expend energy. Feels good most of the time.

I am on a high-protein diet, and before you start telling me how bad that is for me, let me tell you that it's really good for me and my digestion system. I try to not eat any carbs at all, then when I need some it's okay. Now when I want that pastry, I can think how difficult it was to bike yesterday, and not null that effort by eating stuff I don't need right now..

This works for me and it's a natural way for me to eat. When I was younger I never ate pasta, bread or potatoes, just meat, fish, pork, poultry, sea food and veggies. Except for that year in high school when I only ate french fries and drank chocolate milk and kept my figure and my clear skin. Irritated everyone!

It's the cave man diet, ever read "Clan of the Cave-bear"?

Motivation tip of the day: I just catch a glimpse of myself in the store window .. . knowing that I will be tickled pink at that image soon enough. I want it to be sooner, not later . . . another motivating factor.
I didn't ride my bike this weekend, I walked everywhere with my daughter. This morning I just got on it and rode the one block up the hill that I usually walk! Then rode to the bus like I knew what I was doing!

18 September 2010

The Perfect Diet for me!

I have lost 15# as of today!
25# to go!
Today my BMI reach a "normal" state. HOORAY!

I am busy, and just want to sew or watch movies when I get home. I own most of the exercise videos that you've seen on TV. I am a collector of exercises, but have not been willing to actually use them regularly. It's always "tomorrow I'll get started." So when my car needed repairs at 180,000 miles, a life-changing decision was made. The weather was nice, one child still at home and she doesn't like to leave the house. I have never really liked to drive into work in the traffic (45+ years), so I didn't repair my car. I've made a pact with myself not to get another car until I reach my weight goal!

Rule #1: LOSE the car!

The BBW Diet:

Bike ~ Bus ~ Walk

I have been walking to the bus stop (1 mile), taking the bus to work, walking to work (10 minutes), and coming home again the same way. It was so hard in the beginning - 1 mile seemed so far. Then I added a bike to the equation, I've never had a bike before so there are a lot of muscles waking up.

26 years ago saw the end of my running 1-5 miles a day (8 minute miles), and dancing 3-4 times a week, AND weighing 110# dripping wet!
Last year I purchased a Direct Life Monitor from Phillips
I wore it diligently - it kept telling me that I was not burning any calories, driving, working, even running around the house cleaning. Direct Life visually shows me how I'm doing. And some exercise doesn't burn as many calories as you would think. So Direct Life gives me awareness! No more thinking "I've done enough for today" Not if I truly have a goal to get fit and lose weight.


It shows me my progress with all kinds of charts that break down into hours if you want.

I was walking every once in a while at lunchtime, and finally decided that I was going to walk EVERY day! Well that Monday, determined to do this every single day, I went on my lunchtime walk with a friend. Within 5 minutes I stepped on some melted snow that was muddy. My thought right before that was about getting my new walking shoes muddy, but I didn't care, so kept going.

Up in the air I went, twisted my ankle! I was so determined that we continued on our 30 minute walk. Three days later when my ankle was grotesquely swollen, and very black I decided to go to the doctor. I had 3 broken bones in my ankle, they were shocked that I had been walking on it. Immediate crutches, boot, etc. etc. etc. I almost had surgery but new doctor decided to put it off.

Ankle finally became okay about 10 weeks later, so I started walking as the car was gone by then. Now the knee goes out, unbalanced leg and still wearing the shoes I was injured in. One of those shoes hadn't been worn for 10 weeks so I was really unbalanced. Purchased new Reebok walking shoes, and carried ice packs in my backpack for immediate attention when my knee was painful. That knee pain was worse than my ankle had ever been!

Finally my knee got better.

WOW - when I started walking with spirit, the numbers went way up!


14 September 2010

The Crone


I found this picture on the internet many, many moons ago. She drew me in, I loved her instantly and saw her beauty and wisdom. I didn’t understand what the attraction was but I do now. It’s more of a feeling that is beyond words for me. This picture is actually a mask, and I’ve searched and searched the internet and can’t find it anywhere. So glad I copied it!



I’ve always been attracted to Goddesses, but never really connected. Then when my two oldest grandchildren (ages 8 and 1 at the time) went to live with their mother, I assumed it was forever. I had them both since their births, with a few trips back and forth.


So I set out to start my life, and started taking midwifery classes. The first several weeks of classes were about the beginning of time, and how women were healers and persecuted as the men thought they were black majik incarnate.


A few months later, the kids came back and stayed, and then their little sister was born a few years later at 2.5# and 11”, 3 months early. So I did not pursue the idea of goddesses and healers.


Now I've begun to realize the wonderfulness of being older and wiser and intend to move through this new phase of my life and appreciate the power of woman. It’s time to get grounded in our heritage, in life itself. I’ve been so busy doing what I needed to do, being who I needed to be, now I am going to find me!
________________________________________

"Those of us who choose to name ourselves Crone do so to raise consciousness around issues of aging. Paradoxically, at the beginning of the 21st century, the ancient Wise Woman Crone archetype is emerging within women all over the world. We are beginning to realize that this third and crowning stage of female life (the one our culture throws away) is more authentic, creative, outrageous, powerful, funny, healing and profound than we ever imagined." [Helen Redmen: Birthing the Crone]
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12 September 2010

Good Morning! From my phone!

11 September 2010

Upcoming Topics

I just love the Tree Of Life!


There are so many things I want to write about, but I still have laundry and dishes to do. So I'll list them here as I remember those things I want to pay attention to again.

   Sherlock Holmes
    Moulin Rouge
    Gypsies
    Fishing
    Camping
    Fairies & Gnomes
    Wood Spirits

    10 September 2010

    Knitting for me . . .

    All my life I have collected patterns for knitting. I would buy cheap yarn in bulk in anticipation of working on a project. I finally made myself stop buying knitting magazines as they were piling up in the corners. So many dreams and plans, so many kids, so many work hours, so many responsibilities . . .

    Well I'm back! . . . and collecting patterns again! This time it's Addi needles, high quality yarn and I've just purchased a beautiful Victorian stitch marker and row counter set. On my "Knitting for me . . ." page are unusual knit Shrug patterns that I've found. If you find anything like these, please let me know. I am knitting these shrugs for myself to keep me warm in my old age. Of course, I may never make all of these patterns but I do love finding them and looking at them. This is art to me.

    Many years with troubled kids . . . lots of therapy . . . and the therapist always said "and what are you doing for yourself?" I wasn't unhappy back then, too busy to be unhappy . . .

    So now, this is what I'm doing for myself. Knitting is one of those things that I always wanted time to do. Now I ride the bus and knit for 1/2 hour going to work, and 1/2 hour coming home. Just too good to be true!!

    09 September 2010

    What's it all about?

    I am metamorphosing from one life time to another. It feels familiar, I think I've done this before. I want to capture my gentle aging process for my own to know later. I don't feel "old", and I'm not sure that 61 is old. What is old anyhow? I want to be healthy and happy. I believe if you can keep the body, then you can stay. I haven't worked too hard on keeping the body, although it's been very healthy.

    So now I am working on the body. There are aches and pains, but I will fight them and not let them get in my way. I will exercise on purpose. When I was younger, sex and dancing kept me in balance. Then I was taking care of so many, but that's behind me now.

    It's not just the exercise, I really love being outside. I love not having to hurry to work as my hours are flexible, I love being able to get myself somewhere on my own steam power. I don't believe it was such an accomplishment when I was driving.

    I rode for several miles today, to avoid the hassle of putting the bike on the bus. It's a freedom, not quite explainable yet, but it gives me power and confidence . . .

    . . . and a soreness throughout my back, and it made me sweat, and my dislocated thumb is aching. I do feel alive though and ordered a new ice pack for the hand today. I'm building up quite a collection!

    Fudge

    Made my mother fudge tonight, she's 83 and loves it. The recipe comes from my long ago mother-in-law. Basic fudge, just right temp and beat, beat, beat! Addictive! I will FedEx it to her tomorrow so she'll have it by the weekend.

    Why a Blog?

    I am changing my life style dramatically. It's possible that no one is noticing, but I am feeling it. Maybe you will read this and realize that your life is just beginning!

    The difference between now and before is I have more time to myself, different priorities, and I've become a collector of all kinds of specialized ice bags that conform to different parts of my body. For the first time in my life, I broke my ankle, suffered with a very painful knee brought on by the broken ankle, and most recently dislocated my thumb when I dropped my bike (see below). This is because I haven't been active in 26 years and have decided to get healthy and fit no matter what.

    I have just purchased my first bike ever, and am learning to ride it. I take it everywhere with me, have learned to put it on the front of the bus and under the bus. I am walking 1-2 miles a day, now bike some of it, and then walk the bike if it seems more comfortable (hills & traffic).

    I have stopped driving until I lose the 40# that snuck up on me since I stopped running at night and dancing on other nights. That started about 26 years ago when I started accumulating grandchildren (3) which I adopted all of them in the 1990's. This was after I raised my 3 children. In Oklahoma back then, it was barefoot and pregnant at the age of 15.

    I have taken up knitting again on the bus ride into work and then home again - 30 minutes both ways. What a nice change from sitting behind the steering wheel in traffic! I have a theory that you only see old ladies knitting because they are probably finishing a project they started when they were younger and never had time to finish. Knitting does require quiet time, with no interruptions. It's meditation with a mantra "knit 1, 2, 3 . . . purl 1, 2 . . . knit 1, 2, 3 . . ."
    Impossible with constant requests for peanut butter and jelly sandwiches!

    Yes, life has slowed down, just can't rush when you're not driving - the bus keeps it's own schedule, you can only walk and bike so fast. I just love it!

    Of course haven't had to deal with rain and snow yet . . .

    08 September 2010

    Well, isn't Bohemia a place where everyone is as good as everyone else—and must not a waiter be a little less than a waiter to be a good Bohemian?

    bohemian definition


    A descriptive term for a stereotypical way of life for artists and intellectuals. According to the stereotype, bohemians live in material poverty because they prefer their art or their learning to lesser goods; they are also unconventional in habits and dress, and sometimes in morals.
     
    The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition