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 ...