my seriously funny cat Lola

This is Lola Morgan. This is one of her preferred spots to sit. She can easily "head butt" me if I am ignoring her. She is almost sitting on my computer...notice the look on her face...it is almost a look of "dare you to ignore me now". I'll get to her lifes' purpose shortly.

Lola was born in Seal Beach, CA, along with about 4 other siblings. She and her sister Lucy Madison came to live with me later that summer, via a NWA flight and a sympathetic co-worker who happen to live in Pasadena and was returning to town. I'm pretty sure that the trauma she experienced was my undoing...while her sister became the official "lap cat"....Lola took on a much more stoic existence. Her un-official name is "Don'tTouchMe"...she refused to be held or sit in my lap UNLESS it was her decision. And only if I did not "touch her". Once I did, game change, she would up and leave. She fought every attempt to hold her, so I gave up, the skin can only be shredded so much. On June 14th, she and her sister Lucy Madison will celebrate their 13th birthday.

Flash forward to year 10 and a new and improved Lola. She now will sit on my lap, in fact looks for the lap to be sat in. She will allow the occasional pick-up and hold, but escapes when she is ready....usually 30 sec in - but it is progress. She still absolutely refuses to allow me to clip her toenails....OUCH!  But all is not golden with Ms. Lola....her lifes' purpose falls under these categories:

1) she refuses to drink out of her automatic water dispenser. When someone is in the house that is.
2) she will sit on the bathroom counter and meow, incessantly, until the humans come and run tap water into the basin. The meowing has now grown to a YOWL. In other words, a demand.
3) she likes photographs and will lick them. Yes, I said lick them. She has gone so far as to hunt for them on my desk and to uncover them if hidden.
4) to gather attention she head butts me. this is notification that she wants her ears "scrunched"! she wants it continuously and if you stop, you are rewarded with a head butt until you resume. Sometimes it is just plain annoying. For a long time I thought she had ear mites, nope - vet checks every year. She just likes it.
5) she has yet been un-trainable to hurl her hair balls up on the linoleum. She has recently began a low kaling and  pacing to inform me that she is about to hurl....on the carpet of course. The miniature rug shampooer has paid for itself many times over...
6) and as much as we do discourage the dining table top sitting, she at least does it only if there is a newspaper or book on which to sit. (Had to remind my guy that "when we aren't here - they are everyway that we don't want them to be, including the dining room table, kitchen counters - cuz; the window is there- don't ya know, etc.")
7) she is sometimes a bully with her sister...to the point that Lucy, at times, avoids her. If Lola wants in my lap, Lola will be in my lap regardless of what/who is in my lap. Even needlepoint is to be removed to allow for sitting. This from a cat that refused the lap years earlier. Go figure.

The good news is she no longer removes her collar. Fat lot of good it will do her to do so...we had the vet implant a gps bug into her back last Fall. And she has become quite the little RV'er. Even an indoor cat will escape given the opportunity to do so...as I have discovered her in the backyard facing down the squirrels and staring at the bird feeders.

She is a good kitty. I just wish she wouldn't glare at me. Or eat the plants...

~Ciao
p.s. Cats lose 1/2 of their daily body hydration from cleaning themselves ~ hence the need to hydrate. I rarely see this cat clean herself (although she is clean) as she sleeps all day and much of the night. (Sigh.)

new bike to road test = butt butter?

yesterday is was Beautiful outside....got to 70 degrees. definitely time for a road test of our new x-country bikes. embarrassing to admit, but outside a single short ride on a borrowed bike in December i have not been on a bike for 35+ years...and i never had a bike with gears. ????? what are those and how do they work?

i never had a 2-wheeler. that astonished my husband....i can briefly remember a tricycle in a long ago Christmas setting but never got a 2 wheel bike and where we lived i sure could have used one. (mainly to flee...maybe they knew that)

we do this road test in our neighborhood which has a series of 'greenway' paths for runners and bikers, the assorted dog walkers and baby strolling parents. of course we decide to divert off the path and into a unknown neighborhood, up and down - emphasis on the down - which causes me to ask about the FLAT return home. to which my prince charming says "it's all downhill from here" (w/grin.)
at some point in the process my seat got moved to a higher position ensuring that i would not be able to touch the ground and have contact with the seat...not a comforting thought given my less than confident first time outing.

as i said a bit earlier, not familiar with gears. apparently my bike has 3 for the front wheel and 6 for the back one. who designs these things? trying to go uphill with 1 (front) and 7 (back) is hard  and my legs were complaining, as was my mouth apparently; until mr. p.charming says...both should be 1 - 1...OH! i then find i am halfway up the hill and i have no control over the pedals, let alone the wheels/tires to pavement! scared? not me....i am laughing so hard over the visual i see in my head of the clown car like sight i was creating for the folks out in their yards, that i literally can not pedal and fall to the left. unhurt and still laughing i have to walk my bike to the corner because i can not get on the now too high seat AND i am laughing.

triathlete friend WB recently informed me of 'butt butter' - newsflash WB, it's not my derriere that is in need of soothing this weekend. but thank you for the fascinating insights of long distance bikers and their backsides. (hugs and love!)

and yes i know that helmet looks stupid now that i see the photo.it's job is to save my head from connecting with cement...pity it can't be attractive AND meet OSHA requirements.

arm-chair quarterbacking....DWTS

for you non-enthusiasts feel free to move on...however I just can't seem to let this go. I have a friend that lives in Washington State and we are able to share this (via Facebook) which probably aids in the 'hanging on' that I am experiencing. 

I am not a fan of the 'themed' music shows...last night's "Patriotic" music, which is nice to hear but it appears to be very difficult to choreograph. Some were ok, others just annoying to watch.

So in no particular order, my thoughts on each of the individual celeb dancers:

Romeo: Newsflash: it's not classy to use a 'cancer announcement' as a "vote for me" moment.(especially since you aren't even related to the patient!)

Kirstie: please have your costume designer FIRED...you deserve better costumes. I love that your 'over-the-top' personality can manage the mountains of jokes that women with weight issues have thrown at them. You have rhythm girlfriend....dance as much/long as you can. You get some of my votes.

Ward: It's just too bad you have such great timing/technique...are you sure you've never had lessons?

Kendra: seriously? monthly hormones? again? TMI honey, TMI. your whining and brat 'tude is just irritating.
Someone needs to go...bye-bye Playboy princess.

Okay, I'm done for this week's review. Can't wait to see the results show.

I think I swallowed a grouchy pill...some days are just like that.
Ciao~

this week's dribs and drabs

So, it's Monday again, time for DWTS. I think I'd be more excited if the Playboy Princess wasn't still testing our patience and tolerance what with the bad acting and all around bratty 'tude. Yes, I could remove myself from in front of that portion of the show - don't want to, after all, it may actually be another train wreck and that's always good for a giggle.

Took myself to my 7th Barre3 class today...love, love, love this class. Not one class has the same instructor or content. At times, I feel like my muscles will burst at any second - but compared to the first week I am in so much better condition. I do sometimes have to put my 1lb hand weights down to lower my heart-rate, after all my heart is a lot older than the girl that is talking in my head believes the body is...and I know enough about aerobic exercise - both the good and bad - to know that anaerobic is counter productive in the grand scheme of things.

Found a new protein bar. Not only is it gluten-free (which I totally need) but also several of the bars have ZERO sugar. That's right...ZIP sugar.  The ten natural thinkThin® high protein bars have 0 grams sugar and around 230 calories (70 fat cal) and are OMG delicious. I have only been able to find 4 of the 10 protein bars in our local Trader Joes and New Season's but one can order them on line. Chocolate Brownie and White Chocolate Chip are my current favs, although the Cookies & Creme bar is right up. I have one in my bag now all the time, perfect for a afternoon snack when I'm away from home and the healthier snacks that dwell within. Their also have a "crunch" bar line which does have sugar as an ingredient, as well as a small box of 5 half bars (protein) which is the perfect after-dinner treat with a cup of chamomile tea. (think I will email them that I blogged about the bars...will they reward me with a box?) Oh, and the website also has a coupon you can download for .50cents off a bar until 30 April.

We now have helmets and fenders on our bikes. Now if the weather would just cooperate long enough to take a dry spin....and the RV bumper rack has been modified to work around the tire currently mounted there. Watch out people the 'crazy' lady on the hot pink bike hasn't ridden in years!

Have a reiki practice partner lined up...and my darling man is also making himself "available"....he isn't a believer - but then he doesn't need to be!  The Universe knows just what it is that needs the love and attention.

And finally, spring veggie planting is semi-done. Am waiting for sweet onion roots from a neighbor, but all in all until the ground warms up enough to plant tomatoes I am done. Oh, that and Brussels sprouts and beets...ohmygosh - nothing better that roasted b sprouts and beets. So good for you...

Am off for a walk around the 'hood while there is a bit of sun in our (brrrrr) 48 degree afternoon.
Ciao

my spiritual journey to Reiki

This past Friday I was certified as a Reiki* practitioner. I am in a happy place. A new piece of my 'spiritual practice' puzzle fell into place that day…the journey continues.  (It is a healing art form and spiritual in nature, therefore fits in nicely with my beliefs.)

My search for a spiritual practice began in my early twenties - although at the time I wasn't consciously thinking, "I'm searching for a spiritual practice". I was however, in despair and read a lot of, what many call, "self-help" books in search of answers. Divorced, lacking guidance, I was adrift in the boat of my life "without a motor or oars".  I am a product of the 60's and it was after all the 70's, the height of seeking enlightenment through sex, drugs and R&R.  I joined its' ranks - seeking "enlightenment" through large quantities of alcohol and recreational pharmaceuticals-so much so that near the end of that decade of hard living I stopped and sought out help and found it. I wasn't living - I merely breathed in and out. It was an extremely sad and painful time. Another part of my journey.

The next decade was spent in search for a spiritual practice/community that I could live with…I did research on religion/churches by attending services and I even spent two years as a ministerial student within the Church of Religious Science. I discovered that 'living a spiritual life' did not mean, for me, being committed to an organized religion. Apparently my love of church architecture did not extend into sitting through services or tithing to pay church bills. (sigh)

I have, for years now been a haphazard disciple of yoga, acupuncture, astrology, channeling, past lives readings (haven't we all read Shirley MacLaine's Out on a Limb - or - A Course in Miracles published through the Foundation for Inner Peace, seeking a higher truth?)  (Am pretty sure in another life I was a pacifist, even now "Do No Harm" echoes through my head each day)

The search continued, even during those times when I veered off course - only to return and begin where I had left off. I am, after all, a human being and am easily diverted by outside influences. (grin) In that regard I do surrender to the inner knowing that the Universe really is in charge and eventually was led to Reiki and The Insight Center. I did take a rather circuitous route, but I arrived, which in retrospect is the point.

Soooo, Saturday I shared with a group of friends this important accomplishment of mine and the inevitable questions arose (from those who have not dappled in Eastern philosophies), "What is Reiki?". A simple clean descriptive would be:

*An ancient hands-on healing art form established by Dr. Mikao Usui in Japan. The word Reiki is made of two Japanese words - Rei which means "God's Wisdom or the Higher Power" and Ki which is "life force energy". So Reiki is actually "spiritually guided life force energy." While Reiki is not a religion, it is still important to live and act in a way that promotes harmony with others.

As stated earlier, I am in a happy place. I have been instructed to practice, practice, practice for the next 30 days by my Reiki Master. So to reinforce the discipline and my consciousness I am offering a healing session to those of you who know me. Simply contact me directly of your interest and I'll make arrangements with you for a session at no cost to you.

Are you interested in a meditation class/astrology reading, chakra crystal cleansing or Reiki Distance Healing (none of which I provide)? Checkout The Insight Center's website for more information. If you have struggled with a meditation practice as I did, I highly recommend the meditation classes which are offered several times a year.

As you move about your day take with you this Reiki principle "Just for today, do not worry." See if your awareness/consciousness transforms.

And no I have not ordered business cards.

Namaste~

dancing, dancing, dancing....what's not to love

it's the morning after and i am arm-chair quarter-backing DWTS! (also known as a rant :-D) If you have just emerged from under a rock I have included a 'about' link (above). I am an unabashed fan of the show. I use my votes.



that's me!

 Yep, love the dancing shows. As a child, "back-in-the-day", I took tap, ballet (including toe) dancing. And I watched the Championship Ballroom Dance Competition on PBS, hosted by Juliet Prowse, during the 80's and 90's. (Tragically, Ms. Prowse died from pancreatic cancer at 59.) Loved watching the professionals compete.
 
Now that I have qualified my love of dancing...
 
The first 3-4 weeks of DWTS is always interesting, hilarious and a great "train-wreck" to watch. Remember "Master P's" appearance and his flat-footed stomp around the floor, or Cloris Leachman - who I adore and admire for her gumption - made us laugh and clap during her romps around the floor. This season's "I do NOT have rhythm and walk like a robot" award went to Wendy Williams. True she wasn't the first causality, that honor went to Mike Catherwood, although in my opine - she should have been the first to go, as it was just painful to watch. Yes she had personality - but she could NOT dance. (this is a dance competition, not a personality contest)
 
So my rant today is about the 'dumb blonde' act of Kendra...she needs to 'G.O. AWAY".

Watching her attempt to dance makes me want to scream "my eyes, my eyes", to hear her complain during the judges' remarks and then make excuses is akin to 'nails on a chalkboard'. The fact that she is paid to have a reality show is astonishing to me. Really America? There is so little passably good  programming to watch that you sink to watching an ex-Playboy bunnie at home? Even old sit-coms on TVLand would be a step up. "Oh, Kendra, sweetie..." ballroom dancing is both elegant and sexy and can be accomplished with grace, laughter and practice, practice, practice. If you had spent more time with the latter and less about whining about what you 'aren't' you might have discovered that. Everyone on the show has the same number of days to perfect their dance, or wait - they actually used the time to learn it without whining!  Even Kirstie, who had a painful hip, managed to score higher than you and she lost a shoe!

And lets not forget the music last night was wonderful! A full 46 member orchestra...playing the classical themes to Swan Lake, the Harry Potter franchise, etc...delightful and classy.

Hopefully America feels the same way and votes her off tonight...

True I don't watch the usual reality TV shows. This includes the Bachelor (gag), The Amazing Race, Survivor and that train wreck - Kate show with the kids (not sure what the current name is). And I don't put this show into that category, although I am sure that some would disagree. (Isn't America great that way.)

Now I'll take myself off to watch PBS's Masterpiece Theatre from Sunday night and later to watch the DWTS results show. My love affair continues.

Ciao~

my new ride....on the road to fit-ness

recent posts by yours truly have been focusing on my need/desire/search to get back into a regular fitness routine. this one will as well. there are a multitude of reasons. among them is my desire to ward off the encroaching "love handles", age inertia/limitations, and to just feel better. physically one could say i am a mess, at least structurally.

i have spinal degeneration going on, specifically in my upper back/neck area that regular chiropractic care, over the last 35+ years, has helped me maintain an active lifestyle. being active was and continues to be important, even through periods of yoga, aerobics, weight training, running, pilate's. there was also periods of inactivity...when i went back to school to finish getting my college degree, and the 5 - yes 5, knee surgeries and the subsequent periods of recovery from them. no more running for me, ever. i could be all sad about that, but frankly - running sucks. didn't like it as a teenager, didn't really love it as an adult, but it did get the workout done faster - and no, i never got the runner's high. whatever that is! and  at one point in my 20's i had a road bike, until the partying got to be more fun then the bike...but that is another story.

last spring i found new solutions through Dr. Arnot and his team. intense appointments with ice, stretches and adjustments soon got me stabilized. even with a nasty fall last july 17th and my sprained wrist got attended to...then i left town for 4 months and even though i was diligent about doing my daily stretches and exercises, i came home a mess, albeit not a huge mess - finding myself getting treated each week. hence the search for regular fitness...building core strength and maintaining flexibility. in all these years not one of my many chiropractic physicians (there have been 6 not counting the current one) had a team to assist in designing a program to help stabilize until now.

can't run, but no one has suggested i can't ride.

my new ride

sooooo - yesterday we got our new mountain bikes - they are really cross trainers with fat tires...no trail riding for this one, but they will come in handy while we winter somewhere warm and dry.

isn't she pretty?
so fitness is part of who i am. (along with the fat girl that lives inside my head, screeching to be let out.)
i think i'll punish her more once i get a helmet - then i'll be ready to go!

Ciao~






the fitness search continues...

It's now been 7 days since I took my first Barre3 class and I took classes #2 and #3 within the past 4 days. What a difference...but then I am at some level a fitness junkie. It was bound to happen, it always has in the past.  Doesn't mean I like it - the actual 'doing' part, however as noted in my last post, I do like the benefits of exercise. So, if you are like me and you don't like to exercise but know that you 'should' - (this word is usually issued by your physician and really means "if you do not, you will die",) then find some form of physical activity that you know you will do more than once, and go do it.  My new found love affair with Barre3 came about because I discovered that I no longer wanted to be a gym-rat or heave heavy objects around all the while feigning interest and joy in doing so. That revelation was miraculous! I did not want to be a gym-rat...how simple. I was overjoyed and also aware that I couldn't just stop doing 'something'.

Recently an acquaintance made reference to my 'thinness'! This is a woman whom I see on average about once a week when I happen by the needlepoint store. She and I have sat together and stitched, but we have not had coffee, a meal, or an event to bond our relationship, so she is an acquaintance. And as I was standing there in front of her with a smile and a 'thank you' on my lips - I was mentally fighting to keep my head from exploding, all the while a high, tinny voice was screeching "Are you blind?" When I think about my body size, the word "thin" is NEVER used as an adjective to describe it. I use "I am a size 8 in most clothes."
This is huge progress from the once size 16 that I wore on my 215 lb body and the words stocky, fat, full figure were thrown around like badminton birdies. True, it was 40 years ago, but body image/self confidence/ self acceptance comes in waves depending on where my head is at, if my hormone levels are sufficient, and whether or not there was some woman on Oprah, The View or in a magazine that is close to my age and looks FANTASTIC! Never mind that she has either been completely made over by a team of professionals or some male photographer air-brushed her within an inch of perfection - it takes more than a oatmeal scrub and a box of hair dye to make me look and feel Fabulous on any given day, and fitness is a part of this scenario, whether I like it or not.

So, the good news is I now feel more of my muscles after each class, so much so I signed up for 20 additional classes. Endurance should improve, muscles will get toned and maybe, just maybe the final 7 lbs that have lingered on my hips will disappear. I have surrendered thoughts of inadequacy in other areas of my life and bounced back...maybe balancing on one leg is the answer. I'll let you know.

The good, the bad - the "exercise" ugly

I'm in pain today...the second day after a new exercise class. It's that type of pain that you think/hope will not be as severe as say walking on fire or the last time it was days/weeks/months of non-activity and then you exercised and woke up 2 days later - in pain. However, backstory first...

We all have fitness goals - yes, even those obviously overweight people you see at the grocery store, carts loaded with carbs, ice cream, cigarettes and wine - which you have judged as those without fitness goals. Their goal is to do everything that isn't 'fitness' related - to some that is a goal. It just isn't mine.

I am one of those people who has flirted with fitness/exercise my entire life. As an overweight tomboy t'ween I was into softball games, tether ball, and roller skating (pre-rollerblading) with kids of the neighborhood. In high school I as a PE assistant basketball coach, which I really liked and I loved gymnastics. I detested, loathed and avoided any track and field sport which meant no running....but then I was a social cigarette smoker - so running was out!!! As you can see, I was conflicted, I really don't like to exercise, don't like sore muscles or getting sweaty. But I am drawn to sports... and am also lazy.

In the ensuing years I have learned to play tennis, golf, and ski. I've taught yoga and Jane Fonda-style fitness classes. I have joined gyms and hired trainers to get me into shape, and  I've even considered becoming a "fitness instructor", but life and circumstances intervened. I even stopped smoking 20+ years ago and got to the point where I was running 25-30 miles a week. Still did't like exercise - it's hard work,  but I was committed to the benefits. I even did 'hot yoga' 4 times a week for 18 months - and that is work what with counting the travel time,  it is like a 3 hour commitment - to stretch.

Yes, I know all the benefits from exercise. I actually LIKE all the benefits I get from exercise. The sleeping better, weight management, the clean, sharp lines of toned muscles, feeling great - all good things. Doesn't make me love exercise though.  I have yet to experience the endophin highs that some claim exist when exercising - if only that would have happen maybe I would have fallen in love with exercise. ('Sigh'). And because I don't LOVE exercise I go through periods where I can workout and be consistent, until I'm not. Never know when it will occur, neither the doing or the not doing.

Once I moved to the suburbs, got married and went back to school, walking became my exercise. (oh, and in fact my knees finally gave out - no more running for me, EVER.) Last year when I quit working I re-joined a neighborhood gym...only to discover that I didn't want to throw weights around or stand in line 30 minutes to get into the already over-booked yoga/zumba/bike classes. So here I was again, walking for exercise and doing some in-home stretches - lamenting how flabby I was becoming and wishing I could find something that I wanted to do enough to join in again.

I had become one of 'those' people: having relegated "serious" physical exercise to the bottom of the priority list. Afterall, I was exercising...walking a few miles every day is exercise. Then last November led me to a Groupon purchase for Barre3 classes, "where ballet barre meets yoga and pilates". Fast forward to last Thursday and the exercise class that is now my new obsession.

And today it is the exercise ugly - where my legs feel like tree stumps and I groan like an old man when I try to sit or stand up. Oh, I feel other muscle groups when they are engaged, but sitting/standing/kneeling require thigh muscles - ones that are use to moving with ease and flexibility without having to support yourself with the help of walls and pieces of furniture. There is no ease or grace of movement as I sway side to side like a robot until my muscles warm up enough to walk like humans were meant to walk...normally. It is that type of pain that actual feels good in it's painfulness. I know, I know I could have taken the easier, softer way and not joined in with "my over-the-top, type-A personality or I'm not old/out-of-shape/too flabby" head thinking and felt less pain today. That was an option that appeared and I dismissed in short order. I mean, the monkey may be off my back, but the circus is still in town. And I'm the ringmaster.

I just do not do half measures, even when pain is the obvious outcome. I have too many blessings to not count this pain as one of them. My legs still work, as do my lungs and heart. I have scheduled my next class for Monday...hoping for more good than ugly by Tuesday. In the meantime, ice packs and ibuprofen are my new BFFs.

Ciao~