Getting Physical

I recently became aware of yet one more perk of aging. Perhaps the disclaimer here is "aging healthfully" and keeping on top of all medical screenings. My last full physical appointment did not require me to take off as much as my shoes (after I was weighed and measured). I sat fully clothed, and my doctor and I had a conversation in lieu of a hands-on physical check up.

Our conversation was less about the weather and more about encouraging me to exercise as a preventative measure to all that can go awry as one ages. I have been "highly encouraged" to work cardio and strength training into my sedentary lifestyle.

Since there is a history of heart disease in my family, exercise is highly recommended even though my cholesterol levels are within the range which is considered normal.

The day after my appointment I received a call from my doctor. That is never good news. I assumed my cholesterol level had increased from last year and I was prepared to hear her recommendation based on this new finding. I was wrong (I have been wrong an awful lot lately but that is a topic for another day). With no modifications to my lifestyle in the past year, my cholesterol level had actually decreased. But the exercise recommendations remained in place.

It sounds so easy when one is sitting and talking about it. Yes, I should exercise. I will feel better, I will think better and my pants may not feel so tight if I retain the habit. I should do this! But almost three weeks later, I haven't done a thing.

How hard would it be to go for a walk every morning? If the weather and sidewalk conditions are not conducive to safe and dry walking, why don't I just run up and down the stairs and increase the number of times each day? What is so hard about finding a yoga or strength training video on YouTube and adding that to my morning routine? I should register for a Zumba class!

Shoulda, coulda, woulda. But didn't.

I DID look into Zumba classes that would fit into my evening schedule. Easier said than done. And who wants to get home at 9 p.m. all sweaty and in need of a shower?

I DID contemplate substituting my morning rabbit watching time from indoors, to seeking out rabbits as I walk through the neighborhoods surrounding us.

I DID go for one walk.

I DID think about it ... but I have DONE nothing.

If I want to continue down the road I'm on, enjoying a life where I wake up and take my health for granted, it would be wise to follow my doctor's advise and get moving. Mornings are not long enough for all the things I want to do. I simply have to convince myself I want to get outside and get moving. Walking is the best way to enjoy nature at its finest. I simply enjoy watching it from our living room window with a fresh cup of coffee in hand.

Let's get physical! If I write it out loud, will that inspire me to make a change? The decision is mine to make.

Verbal Hangovers

"Listen more often than you speak" 

~ Howard Baker

Somewhere in the recent past, I came upon a nugget of wisdom I thought I could hold onto. I cannot find the exact quote but to paraphrase what I remember, it said something to the effect that we can be interesting or interested. Interesting is not a word I would use to describe myself but I would like to be the kind of person who is known as being interested.

I woke up with a verbal hangover this morning. The words "listen more than you speak" are ringing through my ears.

It is definitely a time to focus on being interested. I have so much to learn from those around me. 

Hide and Seek

I slept in past the prime Rabbit Watching Hour the other day but gazed out our living room window ever hopeful I would spot at least one rabbit before they went into hiding for the day.

I have been rewarded by spotting one speedy little rabbit who often comes into view when all other rabbits are hiding out. This particular morning, my regularly scheduled rabbit hopped in and out of sight as I hoped. But I settled in and kept watching.

Sure enough, just as the sun was dawning a new day, out came one lone rabbit. This rabbit's body language was one of panic. It reminded me of kids playing hide and seek, when last hider is forlorn as all the good spots are taken and they need to hide before the seeker stops counting.

The rabbit hopped into our neighbor's yard which must be an oasis to rabbits hoping to find a quiet place to watch the day go by. The yard is open to wandering rabbits and has lots of cover to hide under.

The last little rabbit hopped out of sight and went into hiding for the day. I must wait until the cloak of darkness until I rabbit gaze and seek them out.

I'm loving the game of Rabbit Hide and Seek.

Sunday Serenity

I have disconnected myself from electronics every Sunday for several Sundays now. How can I describe this in three words or less? It feels incredible!

I allow myself one caveat. I do leave my cell phone on the kitchen counter so I can still hear when an incoming message arrives. Some of the best things happen by allowing myself to be open to a spur of the moment invitation or phone call. But everything else is off. No computer, no TV, no surfing the Internet, no Netflix.

The hum of technology is draining me. Always feeling "on" is exhausting. I am losing my sense of self by numbing myself in Netflix marathons and falling into the rabbit holes of "discovery" on the Internet.

The moment I turn off all my connections, I am immediately drawn to "Mom's Room".

The moment I am in that room, I want to read. I settle onto Mom's love seat, get comfortable and I can't wait to lose myself in a book. Every time I stumble into an unfamiliar word, I grab Mom's dictionary from the side pocket of the end table beside me, breathe in the essence of Mom and carry on.

Sundays are not long enough. I can't get enough of what Sunday has to offer. I long for another "Sunday" the moment my existing Sunday is spent.

Sunday is a day defined by doing all things that bring quiet, serenity and joy into my soul. I see why Oprah has "Super Soul Sundays" - Sunday is a very good day to tend to your inner sense of joy.

May you make room for a day of disconnection and soul searching. I highly recommend it!

Finding Our Inner Happy

So many thoughts, so little time...

"Sunday Serenity"

"If I Think a Thought and Don't Write it Down, Did it Exist?"

"Hide and Seek"

"Letting Go of the Past"

"Everyone's an Onion"

"Easy Yeses"

"Where Do I Make the Time?"

"Getting Physical"

"Mom's Favorite People"

"The Smallest of Things Make the Biggest Differences"

These are the blog post ideas I have in my head at this moment in time. Give me a moment and I may have more. I may have less.

I have stopped writing every thought I think and I'm losing track of some great realizations along the way.

I have started living a fuller life and it feels right. I am stepping out of my head and into the world of people, friendship, family and I feel like my cup is overflowing.

I savor the quiet moments because there are never enough of them. I have been waking up at 5 a.m. to ensure I have time to gaze out our living room window and spot the rabbits hidden in the scene before me, think my thoughts and let myself feel whatever it is I'm feeling before I step into the responsibilities of the day ahead.

Time is going by so fast. I must be doing something right. I'm living the good life here in my quiet little world. Guests are welcome.

May you find a piece of your inner "happy" by allowing yourself the gift of giving yourself exactly what you need to make the most of the moment you are in ...

Feeling the Joy

While I have gone on about "love" and "happy" being more of a verb than a way to describe how I am feeling, as I sat this morning with my coffee cup nestled to my heart watching rabbits, what I felt was pure, unadulterated "joy". It was definitely a feeling.

Our neighborhood rabbits have been entertaining me on a regular basis. One morning, there were two rabbits nibbling on the kibble sprinkled generously under the fir tree in our front yard. They ate to their heart's content and moved on when the spirit moved them. Two more rabbits came into view. I sat and gazed at the antics of the rabbit quartet and my heart was full.

There are most definitely four rabbits residing in and around our neighborhood. There may be more but "four" seems to be the number I spot on a regular basis.

I gaze out the window and it never ceases to amaze me how these white snowballs blend into the scenery so seamlessly. I can be looking right at a rabbit and not recognize it until it moves or its ears perk up. They appear to be very aware of each other's presence. One will come out of hiding and find another, then the two will hop off. They all seem to be headed in one particular direction, spread out a little as they make their way down the street but when one heads down the street where they hop out of sight, I just wait. Because one by one, they all follow.

We couldn't live in a better rabbit-watching spot. Here in this little curve of our road, I can see down two streets and into the front yards where they seem to frolic and play before they disappear out of sight. If I lived across the street or even one house either side of where we live, I would lose the panoramic view I so enjoy.

I think of the rabbits who resided in and around Mom's street. Her street was quieter than ours. It was not uncommon to spot a rabbit sunning itself in Mom's or a neighbor's front yard in the middle of the day. Our rabbits only seem to come into view at dusk and dawn. The sun is getting up earlier and going down later every day (yay!!!), but will this hamper my prime rabbit viewing times?

I gaze out our living room window with my coffee cup close to my heart. I let my mind wander. I scan the neighborhood for movement or any new snow clumps (they usually turn out to be a rabbit). It is like playing "Where's Waldo?" every morning as the backdrop stays the same but I am almost certain there is a rabbit hiding in plain sight if I can just spot it.

This is the closest I come to meditation. It has taken the place of writing my "Morning Pages". This little ritual brings me a state of joyfulness that comes from within.

I wish you joy ... in whatever manner you find it. Hold it close to your heart and savor the feeling. Like our rabbits, often joy is hiding in plain sight. It is just a matter of letting it reveal itself.

Happy

What IS "happy"? I am coming to think of the word happy as a verb. Kind of like the word "love". I prefer to think of both of these words as action words. It feels easier to attain these goals when one thinks of them in the form of a result of one's own actions.

Why do I write this today? Because when it came to titling this post after a long period of silence, "Happy" is the word that came to mind. Not necessarily as a state of mind but as a result of fulfilling something inside of myself that resulted in a state of happiness.

I have often thought our home was so much more than a house. I feel grounded here. I loved what my daycaring years taught me about earning an income from under this very roof. I felt every square inch of our house, garage, playhouse and yard were being utilized. Our home was filled with living, breathing, energetic individuals. This created a state of confusion and chaos at times but all in all, there was a feeling of fulfillment. A feeling that "this is where I am meant to be". No matter what the day had in store, I had the resources to wade through the waves because I was home. I was grounded.

The past three years have had me working outside of our home. It has been challenging but knowing I have this little oasis here on earth awaiting me at the end of my days and weeks makes all things bearable. I am grateful for this place I call home. The tranquility. The state of normal which is routine and predictable. It is my soft place to land. It sustains me.

I have tossed out offers of sharing our home with those who have been in a state of change. We have lots of room. It is peaceful here. You are welcome.

I have made the offer and other than what I think of as my "regular" house guests, no one has taken me up on this offer.

Finally, someone answered "Yes".

This "yes" was multiplied by a number of other guests for one night. My inn was full. Each and every bedroom and spare bed within our home was utilized. Our walls felt happy. These walls were filled with family, friendship, laughter, comfort and joy.

Thankfully one guest stayed on. Our home was available at exactly the right time and place.

It felt absolutely right to offer our home and I was grateful to have one small thing to offer to someone going through a time of uncertainty. A soft place to land.

"If you build it ... they will come" ~ Field of Dreams

It is happening. It may be small. But it is right. I am living in my field of dreams ...

Company's Coming!

Something deep within me has shifted. The upcoming week is full of commitments, people, company coming AND I am a little bit excited despite it all.

Rewind the tape to a time not so long ago when plans were made and I dutifully carried them out. Each step along the way was slightly less excruciating than the one that preceded it. I would follow through, complete my mission, come home and gather my energy for the next hard thing.

This is not unusual for me. I don't like leaving home. Normally I go through the process alone, finding the simplest of decisions inexplicably hard. I don't know what to pack. Whether or not I need to bring a pillow. What if the house burns down while I'm away? What if I don't make it back? Is everything in order?

This is normal for me. I have gone through this process in a slightly less feverish approach for most of my adult life. The "what ifs" bog me down but they start to lighten the moment I'm on my way to somewhere.

Somewhere may be work, an outing with a friend, a short getaway or a more extensive holiday-like destination. The place between "leaving home" and "heading somewhere" is uncomfortable. I go through my processes and to date, I have always come out the other side of the experience intact and grateful for the experience.

It became worrisome to me when issuing invitations into our home started to carry some of the same burden. I become obsessive about cat hair, cleanliness, organization and would over think most every aspect of pending company.

There is one caveat. Outings, gatherings, invitations and conversations involving my own family sustained me. These encounters felt like pure oxygen and breathed life back into me.

Family is coming. Each and every one of my guest rooms will be utilized. I have a guest who will be staying for a longer period and I have gone into full-on hostess mode.

I want to provide little touches, things I appreciate when I'm away from home and distracted by things beyond my control. I want my guest to arrive and not have to worry about a thing.

I went about my weekend preparing for the week ahead of me. I have created a home away from home for my guests and I am just a little bit excited for things to fall into place. Undoubtedly, I will have forgotten something. I always do. But the state of becoming prepared for a week such as this has filled me up and oxygenated me.

I have three spare bedrooms. I have created a little oasis where I put myself in my guests' shoes and have tried to anticipate the small little comforts to make our home feel like theirs. Our home feels happy and open to all that will unfold within these walls.

"If you create it, they will come ..." It feels like I'm in my Field of Dreams again.

The Rabbit Hour

Just in case you are wondering, 4:52 a.m. to 5:52 a.m. seems to be a good hour to spot rabbits from our living room window.

I slept through the Rabbit Hour yesterday morning. Due to a severe case of exhaustion, brought on by *too much kitchen time the prior evening, I could not budge out of bed until almost 5:49 a.m. (our alarm system's hallway monitor lets me keep tabs on such important events). I opened the blinds, only to find one speeding rabbit running like its life depended on it. Sure enough, a dog and his dog walker soon appeared. That was the first and last rabbit sighting of the day.

Thanks to aches and discomforts from a day of moving and shaking yesterday, I woke up this morning at 4:52 with the sole purpose of taking a pain killer and going back to bed to see if it worked its magic. What happened instead, was finding a rabbit nibbling on the food under our fir tree. When it departed, I did a few of my morning chores and by the time I returned to the window, the Rabbit Parade was in full procession.

The seven rabbits I saw a few mornings ago were not a dream or a mirage. They are real. I believe they may have a home a little south of us. They seem to come from that direction. Then again, they tend to come from all directions once they are on the move.

Rabbits, rabbits and more rabbits. Be still my beating heart. I think I am in heaven ...

On a related note, I am convinced that the mating season has arrived, which may be the reason I am spotting these rabbits en masse [my fingers typed these words and then I had to google the definition: "in a group; all together", which is exactly what I meant to say]. Plus on at least two occasions I was convinced I would witness the mating ritual right in front of my eyes.

I furthered my investigation to discover jack rabbits mating season in cold climates such as ours, is from December to September. The gestation period is an average of 43 days and at about 21 days old, the juvenile rabbits start to venture out on their own. The average litter size is five. Now, assuming half of the rabbits I have recently witnessed in our neighborhood are female, that equals a heck of a lot of rabbits due to make a public appearance in approximately nine weeks.

When I told my son about the rabbit count a few days ago, he looked at me and asked, "Do you think you had anything to do with that?"

Hey, a rabbit's gotta eat. All I did was sprinkle a little nourishment under our fir tree so I could help them through a long, cold winter. The rabbits existed long before I started feeding them. Did they migrate from other neighborhoods once word got out about this ready food supply? Only the rabbits know for sure ...

*Definition: "Too much time in the kitchen" - providing a home cooked meal + preparation for my son's pot luck supper the following day + simmering chicken soup broth + dealing with the aftermath of a trip to Costco + dishes, dishes and more dirty dishes after the supper hour

Rabbits, Rabbits and More Rabbits

My eyes popped open at 5:30 this morning. My thought process went something like this ...

5:30 is too early for a Saturday ...
2% power on my cell phone ...
I need to get my phone charger so I can watch Netflix on my phone in bed ...

So I did what I always, always do any time I stand up to do something once the twilight hours roll around. I peeked out the living room blinds to see if I could spot a rabbit.

A rabbit was nibbling on the food under our fir tree. I opened the blinds, settled in on the love seat beside the window and just enjoyed watching the rabbit.

Lately, where there has been one rabbit in full view, a second rabbit seems to be hiding in plain sight close by. One time, a third rabbit joined the pair I spotted. So I settled in, scouring the area for anything that resembled a snow clump that may or may not move.

Nothing.

My rabbit hopped off and no others joined it. I gazed into the street for a short while before I thought I may as well toss in a load of laundry while I was up and about.

I did a few minor tasks and glanced out the window again. Sure enough. A rabbit was on our street, faced towards our house. I sat down and got comfortable, hopeful the rabbit may have a friend close by.

This time, I was not disappeared. Before long, a second rabbit hopped into view. I was pleased with this turn of events and thanked my lucky stars for my almost dead cell phone battery which put me at the right place at the right time.

Then a third rabbit joined the first two. My heart was jumping for joy. Three rabbits! How much better could a person start the day?! Three rabbits all together, right in front of me.

One rabbit headed west and the other two started to follow. The first rabbit was completely out of sight when ... one ... two ... three ... four ... ... ... and even a fifth rabbit hopped in from the south. One after another. The two remaining rabbits from my initial rabbit sighting turned around and joined the group and there were SEVEN rabbits all in one eyeful.

These rabbits chased each other; three of them hopped upon a neighbor's hill of snow hill and took in the view; they frolicked; they jumped; one rolled around on the street in front of me; while most of them took a turn at the feeding station under our fir tree.

The rabbits would split off in pairs or threesomes, run off into a yard, then reappear. They headed westward for a while, they circled back and came back my direction and eventually most of them headed down the street in a southward direction before they disappeared out of sight.

Seven rabbits!!! Seven! And I'm certain there is an eighth. The rabbit that headed west never came back into sight and all the "new" rabbits came from the opposite direction.

Potentially, we have a minimum of eight adult rabbits living in or around our street. Eight! I was thrilled to tears when I could have swore I saw two pairs of rabbits a while ago. "That means baby rabbits in the spring!!!"

Eight adult rabbits? We may have a little population explosion here in our neck of the woods. I sure hope this doesn't entice any predators our way.